Ring of Honor has announced that it will be going on hiatus after the Final Battle pay-per-view event in December.
In a statement issued through their social media channels, ROH has stated that there will be no events in the first quarter of 2022 and plan to return next April:
Throughout the pandemic, our top priority was to keep everyone healthy and safe, and despite not producing any live events over 18 months, we were able to keep everyone fully contracted. We now find ourselves at a time where we need to make changes to our business operations and are planning a pivot for Ring of Honor, with a new mission and strategy.
The year will culminate with a Final Battle in December, and we will be taking the first quarter of 2022 to work internally to reimagine ROH. ROH has the most dedicated fans in the industry, and we appreciate their loyalty and patience as we reconceptualize ROH.
We anticipate returning to live events in April for the Super Card of Honor with a new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience for wrestling fans.
ROH launched in February 2002, meaning this hiatus will coincide with the promotion’s 20th-anniversary early next year.
The company’s last pay-per-view was held in September with the Death Before Dishonor show. They have announced an “Honor for All” event scheduled for November 14th to stream exclusively on Honor Club followed by the Final Battle pay-per-view on December 11th in Baltimore at the UMBC Event Center.
Man, so unfortunate. Been enjoying some of their content the past year. Hopefully this will give them the chance to re-group and regather their operations and think about what they can do moving forward.
Sean Ross Sapp confirming that deals will end at the end of the year, with any longer deals ending March 31. If any of them want to work elsewhere (and they should rather than just sit around after January 1), they can contact ROH about getting it done.
Heartbreaking if this is the end, for so many talents.
If they are gone, I hope the tape library ends up somewhere that will value it.
One of the two biggest*** “what if?” scenarios of modern wrestling is is Sinclair stepped up and ROH kept the Elite in the company. ROH should have been what AEW became… they had the history, goodwill, and resources with Sinclair, to become just that.
I saw a good point that somebody said, that the MSG show was really the beginning of the End for ROH.
*** the other what if being if Vince and Triple H had gone with Jericho’s proposal to have NXT on the first Jericho cruise.
So what’s the part about April mean? Is ROH dead? Is it turning back into an indie? Is Sinclair keeping the name but just presenting something completely different with new (and I assume cheaper) people? I haven’t read anything else, so if this stuff isn’t answerable, apologies.
I’m hoping it’s just a restructuring thing… Cannot see Sinclair keeping ownership to just run it on a pay-per-appearace for the roster / indie style.
I can see them looking to sell it off, the library has to be worth something. Even if ROH couldn’t figure out exactly what to do with it.
Generally when things “go dark”, we usually don’t see them on the other side. Also, the fact they are releasing EVERYBODY speaks loudly to them not really having a plan.
A point I just saw online “Bully Ray being in charge and Getting ROH to alienate all their fans should be it’s own Dark Side of The Ring, the MSG show was the beginning of the end”
I’m bummed to see ROH go as it was a tentpole in the Wrestling Industry for so long. I wasn’t much into watched them pre 2016 but always loved keeping up with it through the Redacted. I knew when guys came to NXT or WWE from there it meant they were big prospects and I was genuinely excited. Guys like Owens, Sami, Cesaro, even Seth early on. It made me a believer that if the IWC or Hardcore fan is big into something or a certain talent that more casual bystanders will gravitate as well because of the perceived excitement.
I got up the courage to go to a War or the Worlds show which I’ve spoke about before was the event Marty joined Bullet Club and Adam Cole was kicked out. It sparked my spirited passion for BTE. I say I got up the courage because prior to that show I had never attended an “Indy” show (rather, a non-WWE show). I went alone after buying a ticket same day (a John Pollock review of the recent show that played in my ear as I bought the ticket pushed me) and suffice to say ROH and New Japan changed my fandom that night. I was now somebody who went to non-WWE shows! I subscribed to Honor Club for 2 years, one due to an auto-renew . But it started me really supporting Pro Wrestling. Proud to.
They got me to Hammerstein the first time. Made it to two Final battles, '17 and '18. And the feeling I have from the day of the MSG show (a venue I had been to all sorts of events from since I was 4 years old, and I was living down the street from) is one I’ll never forget. So hat tip to ROH was being able to be in the right place at the right time on that one. And I am very happy to have jumped on that ride!! I’ll always think fondly of it.
On the future of ROH - I like many others - fell out of the product post-Elite. I really enjoyed John’s recent recap of their last PPV and thought it was great to hear knowing ROH is still around, doing things with great talent.
Wrestling has always benefited from them being around. I don’t know what value there is for the company or even IP beyond the tape library. I don’t know the ownership structure there but if Sinclair can spend next to no money on a library featuring all of today’s biggest stars, I think the most value to be derived from said library is to just use ROH to fill air on all those regional sports networks they purchased. Sad to say that is what ROH could become, but actually, just turning on any random Sinclair network and seeing Punk vs. whomever or Seth Rollins as TylerBlack, it would be kind of a cool use of the library. Better than sitting in a vault somewhere.
At most ROH’s return probably can’t surpass what NWA is now can it? Impact? like once you exit like this, I don’t know where you think you are slotting back to. Then again, it does feel like any promotion can have a hot show that gets attention. Its definitely a new dawn in pro wrestling with ROH going this way but it also feels like it can be exciting too. Open promotions are the way Wrestling evolves and ROH May get a chance to open themselves up now. Let’s see.
. But it started me really supporting Pro Wrestling. Proud to.