SBG SELLS ROH TO TONY KHAN

[Shanahan]

I’m sure TK would give WWE some footage if they were doing a doc on say KO or Sami.

[monster mafia]

WWE was interested in buying ROH, some in WWE are shocked that AEW made the deal

PWInsider reported today that there was interest from WWE in buying Ring Of Honor after ROH announced last year that they were going on hiatus. It was noted that the two sides entered discussions in December but talks ended without a deal being made. Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that ROH reached out to both WWE and AEW. There were talks a few years ago when Triple H pushed to try to buy the company and their library.

PWInsider added that there were people in WWE who were legitimately shocked and they thought that the announcement would be about an HBO Max deal.

As far as what ROH will look like under Tony Khan’s direction, there are things that still need to be figured out but people in ROH were reportedly still working on the production of the TV show yesterday and their upcoming events. When Tony Khan said that the deal was signed “today” (Wednesday), he was telling the truth because PWInsider reported that one person believed that the deal was signed as late as 6 pm eastern and only a small circle of people in AEW were aware of the discussions and they believed that the deal was done well before that.

PWInsider said that people on the ROH side of things described this deal as “bittersweet” as the feeling was that this was the right thing to do for the long-term future of the company but there was some sadness that this was the end of a chapter, even though that chapter truly ended in December.

As noted last night in the press release that was sent out, Tony Khan (not AEW) is the owner of ROH. Khan said in the press release that he will start to look for a way for people to see the ROH library. Whether that means HBO Max, AEW’s own streaming app or something else is unknown right now.

[monster mafia]

Ring of Honor is scheduled to make its return during WrestleMania weekend. The company has been on hiatus since the Final Battle pay-per-view. ROH fans were expecting a new business model and some new faces. What they got was something entirely different.

Tony Khan announced on last night’s AEW Dynamite that he has bought Ring of Honor. With their big comeback show happening next month, there is precious little time to make some huge decisions. If the show is to go on, Khan will have a wealth of talented wrestlers to pick and choose from.

The card for Supercard of Honor was not completed at the time Tony Khan purchased Ring of Honor. The promotion was planning to use AEW talent but wasn’t sure if they could get a deal done. That problem is now non-existent. Fightful Select offered more insight into the state of the ROH event.

“Talent that is booked for the April Supercard of Honor show was not and have not been briefed as of yet, and learned about it by watching Dynamite with the rest of the world. There were very few people remaining under contract, but they retained PR representative, and had planned dates through the end of the year to tape television. We’ve not been told whether or not those will continue or if the Sinclair syndication is a part of the deal or not.

Before the announcement, the card for Supercard of Honor was not done, and those on the ROH side told us that they weren’t confident that AEW talent would even be able to appear on the show. Obviously that won’t be an issue now. Another wrinkle is that IMPACT’s Deonna Purrazzo is ROH Women’s Champion, and has been scheduled for the show since winning the title.”

The big shakeup in the wrestling landscape could mean AEW and Impact talent appear at a Ring of Honor show. There are a ton of possibilities and a huge tape library filled with the early years of some of the biggest names in wrestling. Tony Khan will have a lot to sort through as he decides on the future of ROH.

[Chrisvegas27]

Take it for what it's worth because the source but Ringside says Tony plans to continue to tape roh tv and possibly air it on one of turner networks

[supersonic]

Take it for what it's worth because the source but Ringside says Tony plans to continue to tape roh tv and possibly air it on one of turner networks

I'd rather see Rampage expanded to two hours so that there's more time for others to have major non-match PPV hype segments.

[tigermask7.0]

May be best to do 4 major/tentpole events a year ... Anniversary, Best In the World, Death Before Dishonor, and Final Battle (?) And film television to support those events.
That would create 12 week booking cycles & not demand too much from the creative team.

P.S. and add Supercard Of Honor as a 5th element to showcase talent during the Wrestlemania Weekend.

[supersonic]

The nostalgia in me would prefer to see BITW slotted down, with DBD reclaiming the Bash/SummerSlam position, and GBH reclaiming its autumn flagship position.

[tigermask7.0]

Fair enough. Just brainstorming ideas.

Also wondering what happens with the ROH dojo system & its relationship with MCW.

[McXal]

Seconded on downplaying Best In The World. I know they didn’t run the first BITW event - but it has always been Sinclair’s flagship event. It was their first major show in 2011, the show they went on PPV with in 2014, the one that they brought fans back with last year etc.

In short - it has corporate Sinclair stink on it. Get rid.

(Assuming Tony K is genuinely interested in running ROH as a genuine sub-promotion/brand and anything more than a tape library)

[monster mafia]

ROH WEBSITE



An agreement has been reached for All Elite Wrestling CEO Tony Khan to acquire the assets of Ring of Honor Wrestling Entertainment, LLC from Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Khan made the announcement during Wednesday night’s episode of AEW: Dynamite on TBS.

“Ring of Honor’s influence on modern professional wrestling is etched permanently in the history books, and this acquisition ensures that its legacy will be kept alive and treated with the utmost respect,” Khan said.

ROH COO Joe Koff said: “Ring of Honor has produced some of the best professional wrestlers over the past 20 years, but more importantly, it created a family. I will be forever grateful to everyone in the ROH family who has worked tirelessly for the past two decades to take ROH to levels previously unimagined. Tony has the utmost appreciation and respect for Ring of Honor, and I’m truly excited to see how he continues the legacy.”

ROH was founded in 2002 by a Philadelphia-based pro wrestling video production company and has gone on to become one of the most influential promotions in the industry.

Emphasizing unparallelled in­-ring action and athleticism, ROH initially catered to a niche audience of disenfranchised hardcore wrestling fans, recording live events in Philadelphia and a few other cities in the Northeast and selling them on DVD and VHS.

From those humble beginnings, ROH steadily grew into a global brand that launched the careers of a number of top stars, including CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, the Briscoes, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens.

In 2011, SBG acquired ROH from Cary Silkin, who had been ROH’s sole owner since 2004. Under SBG’s ownership, ROH became the only wrestling company in the U.S. with a major, multi­-market presence on broadcast TV.

The next chapter in ROH’s storied history will now be written by Khan, who described himself as “a huge fan of Ring of Honor” when he made the announcement on Dynamite.

“This deal adds thousands of hours of content to our rapidly growing library and creates new opportunities to expand our footprint on national and global scale, while having the potential to produce new content under the ROH banner,” Khan said.

[McXal]

If Tony is serious about using ROH as AEW’s version of NXT (all kinds of ironic considering on many levels NXT was created to be WWE’s ROH), and he wants to invest serious funds in it as a genuine ongoing sub-entity - and he hasn’t just purchased the tape library plus running the occasional novelty ‘One Night Stand’ type show - then he should absolutely be calling William Regal and Gabe Sapolsky as soon as possible. Bringing them both in to, in part, recreate what they already have experience of doing within NXT up until recently.

Sounds like a pipe dream - but does at least feel more realistic now Joe, Greg and Hunter won’t be in charge…

[supersonic]

Seconded on downplaying Best In The World. I know they didn’t run the first BITW event - but it has always been Sinclair’s flagship event. It was their first major show in 2011, the show they went on PPV with in 2014, the one that they brought fans back with last year etc.

In short - it has corporate Sinclair stink on it. Get rid.

(Assuming Tony K is genuinely interested in running ROH as a genuine sub-promotion/brand and anything more than a tape library)

Devil’s advocate:

The 2011 event also ended the entire golden age that started with the deaths of WCW and ECW, with Punk’s Vegas segment 24 hours later being the exclamation mark.

[AnHonorableMention]

[youtube][/youtube]

Great to see and hear the news. Can’t wait for more details. Hopefully some original roster members get new contracts.

So FTR to Supercard right?? Supercard sells out super fast now right? Ian to AEW/ROH right?!?

I assume either HBO Max or AEW stand alone streaming service isn’t far away.

Not sure who would think this is a bad thing.

As of law check they've sold between 450 and 600 tickets in a 6800 seat building. Sell out is not happening. Quite frankly I don't even know if the show is.

I gotta think some AEW talent gets added to the card at this point. Which is probably why we’ve heard a lack of information leading up. Add a couple big names, matches and would imagine tickets would sell pretty quickly.

There were minimal people at ROH that knew, don't blame Joe Koff making the right decision on why Delirious couldn't book a show.

[supersonic]

Former WWE writer and POST Wrestling podcaster Brian Maxwell Mann has some apparently educated speculation.

https://twitter.com/BrianMaxMann/status ... 2610083841

It is with a heavy heart that I must admit I have worked myself into a shoot and believe Cody will run ROH. This Tony Khan and ROH deal didn’t come together in the last two weeks. So let’s assume for a second that TK and ROH have been talking for a while. Tony sets his mind on purchasing the company and using it as his developmental. Who in his orbit would he trust to oversee this operation? If Tony wants to create his NXT, wouldn’t you give it to your Triple H? This wouldn’t be some big swerve or work either. Cody and Brandi would be legitimately leaving AEW for this new company. Explains the caginess described by DDP in this interview [quote included separately from this particular block-quote.]

DDP:

"Cody called me two days before. He said, ‘Listen, I’m gonna tell you something. But I can only tell you so much. But I know if I don’t call you and tell you, you’re gonna want to kill me. You’ll be so pissed off, so I have to call and tell you that I love Tony Khan. He’s a great guy. He loves me. But we’re gonna split up and I want to go off and do something else. I can’t tell you about what it is right now, but I promise at some point I will.’ I don’t want to know sometimes. You know what I mean? I want to be surprised. I gave him all of my viewpoints on everything. I don’t know if you’re doing this, I don’t know if you’re doing that, I don’t know if you’re doing this. But I gave him my viewpoints and then Cody’s a man. He’s very successful. To me whatever he does, I wish him the best. I hope I helped him with some of my insights to help direct him. But he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do."

https://www.bodyslam.net/2022/03/03/exc ... zzled-out/

While asking around about the purchase of Ring of Honor, sources have also confirmed to me that the reports of Brandi and Cody Rhodes leaving AEW was “very much real life, and was not a work.” Additionally, I was told that discussions had been ongoing between Cody and WWE, but I was told “those conversations have since fizzled out.”

Once source indicated that there is hope that Cody can be brought back into the AEW fold. The idea was floated to me that there might be a possibility again, with a new role involving the ROH acquisition.

As stated previously in this thread, Ringside News has far from a solid reputation, but when adding this - https://www.ringsidenews.com/2022/03/03 ... sion-show/

It is likely that ROH will not have Sinclair’s broadcasting base to air their show. It is expected that a new deal will be reached elsewhere. We were told that, “the TV is working out a deal. Not Sinclair.” There is “no deal right now but tapings will be held and it’s believed it’ll be on TNT or really any Turner channel.”

In conclusions:

It doesn't seem unfathomable for TNT programming star Cody Rhodes to be the one running ROH if it's airing on TNT or TBS, keeping the synergy going.

[Captain_44]

Discovery and Warner Media (The Parent of TNT, TBS, and Turner) are merging so will be options outside TBS, TNT, etc.

[BurningHammer]

I can’t say I’m particularly enamoured with the idea of Cody being the man behind ROH, his vision on wrestling seems so scatter gun and trying to please everyone that I just don’t feel it all. If he’s going to do it, he needs a set vision, one that encompasses everything that made ROH its best form but is also profitable. It needs to be one where he also isn’t the guy, if he’s going to be the Booker, then that’s your role don’t Dusty ROH. Also if that fucking bear shows up then there is just no point.

Then there needs to be a staff around him that don’t fall into line and operate it correctly and make sure Cody doesn’t get a head himself which he can do easily it seems.

The idea of ROH being within such a media empire is great and TV wise it couldn’t be better for ROH

[NewROHFan2020]

The idea of ROH being within such a media empire is great and TV wise it couldn’t be better for ROH

ROH is dead. Whatever Tony does with it, it’s different now. It would be like buying 7Up and changing the formula. ROH was an entirely different promotion that a wrestler who couldn’t hang on or didn’t want WWE or AEW, could go and work.

At best it will be AEW Jr. The Wingmen will interfere in the ROH tag title match. Any “ROH” wrestler that gets hot, will go to AEW and any AEW wrestler that isn’t “over” will come down to ROH and beat up on “ROH” talent.

Maybe it won’t, but it won’t be in “competition” with WWE, AEW, and Impact, as it was before 2022.

[BurningHammer]

The idea of ROH being within such a media empire is great and TV wise it couldn’t be better for ROH

ROH is dead. Whatever Tony does with it, it’s different now. It would be like buying 7Up and changing the formula. ROH was an entirely different promotion that a wrestler who couldn’t hang on or didn’t want WWE or AEW, could go and work.

At best it will be AEW Jr. The Wingmen will interfere in the ROH tag title match. Any “ROH” wrestler that gets hot, will go to AEW and any AEW wrestler that isn’t “over” will come down to ROH and beat up on “ROH” talent.

Maybe it won’t, but it won’t be in “competition” with WWE, AEW, and Impact, as it was before 2022.

The formula for ROH has changed multiple times under three different ownerships. Unless ROH is folded and never to return, then it’s not dead. There is far more of an option for ROH to be a strong alternative than before as the people behind it will likely (I hope) have a much stronger and engaging plan than what we had previously seen. Granted Delirious, Koff and others certainly found something as a company last year but ultimately it was too little to late, the next step for the company will hopefully be what last year or post pandemic should have been for the fans and company.

I can watch a company flow from one to another if it makes sense, and more importantly the wrestlers involved are of the highest calibre as are the matches. If we people from the nightmare factory or those heavily involved in Dark+ (whatever it’s called) then yes I agree it will be nothing more than a sham promotion, that should just be folded. I do get a sense from Khan that he would want to succeed where WWE failed, WCW could have succeeded in its own right with the right backing and sense of competition that became the furthest from WWE’s mind. Tony could think differently and he should.

[NewROHFan2020]

The idea of ROH being within such a media empire is great and TV wise it couldn’t be better for ROH

ROH is dead. Whatever Tony does with it, it’s different now. It would be like buying 7Up and changing the formula. ROH was an entirely different promotion that a wrestler who couldn’t hang on or didn’t want WWE or AEW, could go and work.

At best it will be AEW Jr. The Wingmen will interfere in the ROH tag title match. Any “ROH” wrestler that gets hot, will go to AEW and any AEW wrestler that isn’t “over” will come down to ROH and beat up on “ROH” talent.

Maybe it won’t, but it won’t be in “competition” with WWE, AEW, and Impact, as it was before 2022.

The formula for ROH has changed multiple times under three different ownerships. Unless ROH is folded and never to return, then it’s not dead. There is far more of an option for ROH to be a strong alternative than before as the people behind it will likely (I hope) have a much stronger and engaging plan than what we had previously seen. Granted Delirious, Koff and others certainly found something as a company last year but ultimately it was too little to late, the next step for the company will hopefully be what last year or post pandemic should have been for the fans and company.

I can watch a company flow from one to another if it makes sense, and more importantly the wrestlers involved are of the highest calibre as are the matches. If we people from the nightmare factory or those heavily involved in Dark+ (whatever it’s called) then yes I agree it will be nothing more than a sham promotion, that should just be folded. I do get a sense from Khan that he would want to succeed where WWE failed, WCW could have succeeded in its own right with the right backing and sense of competition that became the furthest from WWE’s mind. Tony could think differently and he should.

ROH could be run as separate promotion, but it will never be greater than or equal to AEW. It will always be less than. WCW would have always been less than WWE. It might have better this or that, but as a whole, it would be less.

[Montana]

Tony bought the IP ; and not just the library; so i'd imagine he has something in mind for the IP. At this point, anyone's guess what it will look like. TK may even know what he wants to use it for yet. He could easily make it a better version of Ring of Honor; with installing some of the key aspects that made the original great. Like McXal said, if TK is serious about running ROH as it's own promotion & a TV product, or Streaming product; first thing i'd do is gather the top tier backstage team. Regal , Gabe, and i imagine this will get some hate; but I don't mind keeping Delirous in the mix. I wouldn't put him in charge; but if nothing else, some continuity / historical purposes. Personally i'd love the same feel for ROH.

On the other hand; this could be Cody's project; and he can take it two ways. Turning it into a nightmare factory type dojo; or something else. I think TK is smart enough to realize if it's Cody's project for a dojo/training center; he really didn't need to buy ROH to brand it that.

Dave Meltzer also had a good point a few days ago; historically the bigger name company typically just absorbs the smaller name for branding purposes. Which could happen here. ROH's big four , while there's a lot of legacy to ROH fans; it's not as big globally/mainstream.

Or maybe TK is like efff it; i want to run two promotions; and make ROH great again. He can have AEW as a mainstream product; and ROH as more of a niche hardcore product. Run them separately. Maybe even put someone like the Bucks or Christopher Daniels in charge of ROH. I agree AEW would be more in a sense, and ROH would be "less" but like Pepsi makes Mountain Dew, and Aquafina, and others. You can be different , and successful at different levels.

Plenty of options. Time will tell.