Originally published at https://www.postwrestling.com/2020/01/31/ring-of-honor-announces-the-return-of-the-pure-championship/
Ring of Honor is bringing champion the Pure championship with a tournament to re-introduce the title set to begin this April.
The company has announced that first-round matches in the tournament to crown a champion will begin on Friday, April 10th in Columbus, Ohio at Express Live and continue the following night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Stage AE.
No participants are listed or how long the tournament will last.
The championship was introduced in February 2004 when the company was two-years into its existence. What differentiates the title is that matches ban the use of closed-fists, limit the performers to three rope breaks and once the limit is reached then submissions and pinfalls can occur under the ropes.
The first champion was AJ Styles, who won a one-night tournament defeating Jimmy Rave, Matt Stryker, and CM Punk on the promotion’s second-anniversary card in Braintree, Massachusetts.
The title was retired in August 2006 when it was unified with the ROH title. This match took place in Liverpool, England with ROH champion Bryan Danielson defeating Nigel McGuinness to unify the titles.
Others to hold the Pure title included Doug Williams, John Walters, Jay Lethal, and Samoa Joe.