Category: ROH

  • Aaron Solow To Receive Ring Of Honor TV Title Shot In Philly

    Aaron Solow To Receive Ring Of Honor TV Title Shot In Philly

    Dojo Pro Season 1 Winner, Aaron Solow, is about to receive one of the most important title shots of his career.

    Solow won Amazon’s Dojo Pro competition recently and as a result, has earned a shot at the ROH Television title. Ring of Honor just announced when Solow will challenge current champion, Punishment Martinez.

    The match will take place in 11 days inside an iconic wrestling venue, the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

    While a talented wrestler in his own right, Solow is perhaps best known to wrestling fans as Bayley’s fiancee. Bayley and Solow met on the California indy scene and became engaged last year.

    https://twitter.com/aaronsolow/status/1016766678410162177

    Aaron Solow ROH

    Solow has wrestled in Ring of Honor previously. He wrestled 5 matches for the promotion in 2014-15. He’s 0-5 all-time in ROH. His one appearance in a televised match with Ring of Honor came in a loss to Adam Page from 2015.

    Along with his partner Ricky Starks, Solow has been wrestling with AroLucha, PWR, and WrestleCircus as of late. The team was defeated by the Revival on Monday Night Raw back in January as well.

    DOJO Pro

    Dojo Pro is a half-hour episodic wrestling show on Amazon Prime. The unique series features a tournament with the winning wrestler earning a title shot in ROH.

    Joey Janela, Jeff Cobb, Shane Strickland, and many others take part in the show.

    The show features a unique “ladder style” gauntlet tournament with each episode featuring one match. The promotion touts that the episodes are binge-watchable and the reviews have been positive for the 12-episode series.

  • Updated Cards For This Weekend’s ROH Honor Reunited UK Tour

    Updated Cards For This Weekend’s ROH Honor Reunited UK Tour

    Ring of Honor is gearing up for their upcoming Honor Re-United UK Tour that starts this week.

    Several matches for these three events in the promotion’s return to Great Britain have been announced.

    These shows will air live on FITE.tv. The tour kicks off on Thursday, August 16th in Edinburgh, UK at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange then on Saturday, August 18th in Doncaster, UK at the Doncaster Dome and finishes up on Sunday, August 19th in London, UK at the York Hall.

    You can see the full lineups that have been announced:

    Edinburgh Card

    – ROH Champion Jay Lethal vs. Adam Brooks

    – The Young Bucks & Marty Scurll vs. Punishment Martinez & The Briscoes.

    – ROH International Cup: Flip Gordon vs. Kip Sabian.

    – ROH International Cup: Joe Hendry vs. Adam Page.

    – ROH International Cup: Jimmy Havoc vs. Christopher Daniels.

    – ROH International Cup: Mark Haskins vs. Jonathan Gresham.

    – Kaylee Ray & Chardonnay vs. Viper & Tenille Dashwood

    Doncaster Card

    – ROH International Cup continues.

    – The Briscoes vs. Jodie Fleish & Jonny Storm.

    – IWGP Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks vs. Jay Lethal & Gresham/Hawkins loser.

    – ROH TV Champion Punishment Martinez vs. Delirious.

    – Marty Scurll vs. Havoc/Daniels loser vs. Gordon/Sabian loser vs. Hendry/Page loser.

    – Tenille Dashwood vs. Chardonnay.

    London Card

    – The Young Bucks vs.  Jodie Fleish & Jonny Storm.

    – ROH International Cup concludes.

    What are your thoughts on these cards? Do you plan on watching these shows? Sound off in the comment section.

  • All In Television Replay Negotiations Underway

    All In Television Replay Negotiations Underway

    It wasn’t so long ago that wrestling fans worldwide weree unsure if they’d be able to experience All In without being there in person. Thankfully, that is not the case.

    In recent weeks, it was announced that All In will be sold on traditional pay-per-view and online streaming services such as ROH’s Honor Club and FITE.tv.

    This past week, the Wrestling Observer reports that there are in fact negotiations taking place in order to get All In a traditional television replay once the initial PPV window expires. The report explains the reasoning behind this push:

    “The idea is to more get as many people watching as possible, so in a sense they are undercutting their own PPV by allowing it on HonorClub, with the idea of using the show to build up HonorClub subs.”

    All In Subscription Initiative

    Ring Of Honor has seen a spike in HonorClub subscriptions this past week after members were offered first crack a G1 Climax ticket presale. The ROH-NJPW co-promoted event at Madison Square Garden on April 8th, 2018 sold out the day remaining tickets went on sale to the general public.

    All In will conform to the way ROH have been presenting PPVs via their HonorClub service, with HonorClub VIP’s getting the show for free, whilst regular HonorClub subscribers can purchase the iPPV for half the cost.

    The regular television PPV will come in at $39.99 and $49.99. Interestingly, this was “an insistence from their side at running it lower as the PPV companies wanted it at closer to WWE prices.”

    For those outside America, Fite TV will be broadcasting the iPPV for $39.99.

    WGN America is reported as having wanted to show the entirety of All In live. However, Cody and the Young Bucks “had an idea for what they wanted from the show and live television of the big matches wasn’t going to work.”

    All In has had an interesting journey (to say the least) from ‘concept’ to selling out a 10,000 person arena and now global distribution What started as a live event for fans in the Chicago area is now shaping up to be one of the biggest shows of the year. Fans are counting down the days until September 1st. Will you be All In?

  • ROH “Aggressively” Aiming To Keep Bullet Club Members

    ROH “Aggressively” Aiming To Keep Bullet Club Members

    Wrestlemania weekend may be the better part of eight months away at this point in time, but that hasn’t stopped speculation amongst fans over the kind of unsigned talent that could potentially show up over that April weekend when WWE descends upon New Jersey.

    With Ring Of Honor holding their G1 SuperCard show on April 6th at the legendary Madison Square Garden, that places the company in direct opposition to WWE’s NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn event at the Barclays Center.

    This move from ROH has already been paying dividends as the eyes of the wrestling world have turned towards it, leading to the show selling out, with fans anticipating the mix of ROH/NJPW action.

    There are a few wrestlers, however, that may not be present to take part in ROH’s historic event at the Garden.

    Aggressive Negotiations

    Contracts for The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and the Best Bout Machine; Kenny Omega, all expire months before the G1 SuperCard show takes place, and speculation is rife with whispers and rumours revolving around a potential jump to WWE, with the behemoth wrestling company in a position to offer them deals that other companies like ROH and NJPW may not be able to match.

    General Manager for Ring Of Honor, Greg Gilleland, had this to say on ROH’s plans to keep the Bullet Club members within the ranks of ROH:

    “They’re our top guys, right? Of course, we’re going to do everything that we can to keep them. And we have fair offers and fair plans to retain them.” He goes on to say, “We always operate with solid backup plans. And we have to always think about what if this, and what if that. If they go to the WWE, and they very much deserve that opportunity, we’ll continue to offer the best wrestling that we can. There’s other talent out there.”

    Greg is candid over ROH having lost top talent in the past, referencing Kevin Owens, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk as all top tier ROH stars that have jumped from ROH to the WWE, and is fully confident in ROH’s ability to thrive despite this.

    “They all went to the WWE, and the brand has continued to grow and prosper. […] We pride ourselves on the ROH experience, and it goes back to the question of losing top guys. Do I wanna lose the Young Bucks and Cody? No. Of course not. Why would I wanna lose them?”

    He ends his discussion on the Bullet Club members, declaring, “Am I gonna make an aggressive attempt to retain them and sign longer-term agreements? Of course, we are. But, at the end of the day, the ROH brand is about the ROH experience, and that’s how we continue to grow.”

  • Cody Teases ‘All In’ Stage Design

    Cody Teases ‘All In’ Stage Design

    ‘All In’ is set to take Chicago by storm come September 1st. If Cody’s latest Instagram post is anything to go by, they’re certainly going all in with a Bullet Club-inspired stage design.

    In the post, Cody has leant into every millennial-with-an-Instagram’s favourite pastime and taken a picture of his dinner, accompanied by the caption, “Bit of grub, bit of work.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BmTmY75BWdT/

    However, artfully placed next to his meal is an iPad that appears to show off what could be the set design for the “All In” event, replete with banners or video screens (a la Ring Of Honor), lighting rigs, ramp, and a large Bullet Club logo below the “All In” banner. 

    Upon releasing the tickets on May 13th, it only took thirty minutes for the show to sell out, despite only having one match announced for the show at the time.

    Updated lineup for All In

    Below is the current card, comprising the rest of “All In”:

    NWA World Heavyweight Championship

    Nick Aldis (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

    ROH World Championship

    Jay Lethal (c) vs. Winner of The Over Budget Battle Royale

    Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll

    Adam Page vs. Joey Janela (with Penelope Ford)

    Rey Mysterio, Bandido, and Fenix vs. The Young Bucks and Kota Ibushi

    Stephen Amell vs. Christopher Daniels

    Madison Rayne vs. Tessa Blanchard vs. Britt Baker vs. Chelsea Green

    The Over Budget Battle Royale (Winner will get a future ROH Title shot) – All In: Zero Hour

    Jordynne Grace, Moose, Rocky Romero, Colt Cabana, Ethan Page, and TBA

    All In: Zero Hero

    The Briscoes vs. Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky

    “All In” will be available to stream via PPV, Fite TV, and ROH HonorClub as it unfolds live from the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago from 7 PM ET on September 1st.

  • ROH/NJPW Sell Out MSG For G1 Supercard

    ROH/NJPW Sell Out MSG For G1 Supercard

    Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling have sold out Madison Square Garden. The G1 Supercard show is scheduled for April 6th, 2019 but you won’t be able to get tickets at Ticketmaster.

    After going on sale to the general public at 10 AM, the remaining seats not sold to Honor Club subscribers sold-out almost instantly today. Fans were expressing their frustration at not being able to purchase tickets.

    ROH/NJPW Madison Square Garden

    Tickets for the event went on sale to Honor Club subscribers last week. Subscribers were given the option of purchasing up to 8 tickets at one time. Following the sale to Honor Club subscribers, ROH officials said the building was approximately 60% sold. The remaining 40% went up for grabs this morning and were gone pretty much as soon as they went on sale.

    Confirmed for G1 Supercard:

    Ring of Honor contracts typically finishes at the promotion’s final event of the year, Final Battle. As a result, many ROH stars aren’t under contract passed 2019. Some ROH talent has been signed to deals that long, however, and those stars are being featured in promo videos.

    ROH stars confirmed for G1 Supercard:

    • Flip Gordon
    • Matt Taven
    • Bully Ray
    • the Briscoes
    • Marty Scurll

    NJPW stars confirmed for G1 Supercard:

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi
    • Kazuchika Okada
    • Tetsuya Naito
  • ROH GM Says He’s Not Worried About Losing Top Stars To WWE

    ROH GM Says He’s Not Worried About Losing Top Stars To WWE

    With Ring of Honor having booked Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania weekend next year, many are wondering if WWE plans to retaliate. There has been talk that many ROH talents have contracts which expire before the event and that WWE may attempt to sign-away ROH’s bigger attractions.

    If ROH is worried about losing their top draws to WWE, they aren’t saying it. Ring of Honor General Manager, Greg Gilleland recently spoke to CBS Sports. He was asked about the possibility of losing guys like Cody or the Young Bucks.

    https://twitter.com/ringofhonor/status/1027706148382801920

    ROH GM Not Worried About Losing Talent To WWE

    “They’re our top guys, right?” Gilleland asked. “Of course, we’re going to do everything that we can to keep them. And we have fair offers and fair plans to retain them. With that said, I don’t think we ever operate in fear. We always operate with solid backup plans. And we have to always think about what if this, and what if that.”

    Gilleland admits there’s a chance the talent could leave before the MSG show but he’s not too worried about that.

    “If they go to the WWE, and they very much deserve that opportunity, we’ll continue to offer the best wrestling that we can,” he continued. “There’s other talent out there. And we will continue as our brand has for the past however many years. We’ve lost top guys before.”

    He then mentioned several times in the past when the promotion has had to overcome losing their top stars to WWE.

    “Think about Kevin Owens and even going back to Bryan Danielson and CM Punk and all of them. They all went to the WWE, and the brand has continued to grow and prosper.”

    “Do I wanna lose the Young Bucks and Cody? No. Of course not. Why would I wanna lose them?” Gilleland continued. “Am I gonna make an aggressive attempt to retain them and sign longer-term agreements? Of course, we are. But, at the end of the day, the ROH brand is about the ROH experience, and that’s how we continue to grow.”

  • G1 Supercard Tickets Moving Fast After Pre-Sale

    G1 Supercard Tickets Moving Fast After Pre-Sale

    First-day G1 Supercard ticket sales are very encouraging for Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling

    The quick sell-out of All In has emboldened other wrestling promotions to think big. After All In, the biggest non-WWE event on the calendar is New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor’s G1 Supercard event from Madison Square Garden during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

    Subscribers of Ring of Honor’s Honor Club program got first crack at G1 Supercard tickets on Wednesday. Tickets started at $30 for upper deck and ringside seats cost $300. The event is already shaping up to be a huge success. G1 Supercard is already 60% sold out, according to ROH CEO Joe Koff (via Post Wrestling).

    Madison Square Garden will host its own ticket presale MSG will host their own pre-sale on Thursday. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday morning at 10AM (Eastern).

    How Will WWE React to G1 Supercard Ticket Sales?

    At this rate, it wouldn’t take long before the show sells out. WWE officials were reportedly unhappy with the show even taking place. It will be interesting to see how they react to the strong ticket sales.

    Talent advertised for G1 Supercard includes NJPW stars Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito.

    Many have speculated WWE will attempt to sign some of the big names involved. Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks are undoubtedly all on WWE’s radar.

    ROH & NJPW’s G1 Supercard will run head-to-head with NXT Takeover in Brooklyn. WWE loves to have one of their new signees sitting ringside at Takeover shows. WWE will have strong competition right down the street on Saturday night, April 6th. What better way to flex their muscle as the world’s top wrestling promotion than to have one of the Bullet Club members watching Takeover from the crowd?

  • Brandi Rhodes Medically Cleared To Return

    Brandi Rhodes Medically Cleared To Return

    Brandi Rhodes is now medically fit to return to the ring. The former Women of Honor athlete had been recovering from an injured shoulder suffered in May.

    Rhodes was injured while competing in the Cinderella tournament for Stardom in Japan. She is all cleared to return, however, and could be back in action next week for Ring of Honor.

    “Officially cleared again for action as of today! Thankful for a great team of surgeons, doctors, physical therapists and an incredible support system!
    Oh…and I’m keeping the hardware. #BionicBeauty”

    Shortly after the injury, Cody Tweeted out the following:

    “Just left the hospital. Long story short…Brandi Rhodes went to Japan and wrestled 4 matches, 2 with a broken clavicle. 2 separate fractures. She’ll need surgery due the bone poking into the muscle.
    She will heal it up stronger than before. I’m blessed to have her.”

    Brandi Rhodes Wrestling Career

    Rhodes wasn’t able to wrestle much while she was in WWE developmental. Rather the company looked to her as a ring announcer. She wrestled just one official match while with Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s former developmental territory.

    Since she and Cody left WWE in 2016, however, Rhodes has been wrestling more frequently. She wrestled several matches with Impact Wrestling in 2016 and 2017 before signing on with Women of Honor. She made it to the 2nd round of Stardom’s Cinderella tournament before losing to Io Shirai.

  • Jushin Liger To Return At ROH Death Before Dishonor

    Jushin Liger To Return At ROH Death Before Dishonor

    Legendary Japanese wrestler Jushin ”Thunder” Liger is headed back to Ring of Honor.

    On Wednesday (August 1, 2018), the Baltimore-based promotion announced on their official website and social media that Liger is slated to make his promotional return at the upcoming Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view event. As of this writing, the company did not disclose who he would be wrestling at this show or what type of match he would be competing in. However, the expectation is that the information will be known shortly.

    Liger’s last appearance for ROH came back in August of 2017 when teamed with Delirious and Místico to unsuccessfully challenge Dalton Castle and The Boys for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship during their UK tour stop in London.

    Bullet Club (Cody, Adam Page, The Young Bucks, and Marty Scurll) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Chuckie T, Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Rocky Romero) in a 10-man tag team match has already been confirmed for this show.

    Ring of Honor is slated to hold their Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, September 28, 2018. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app. The promotion will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks.

    Who do you want to see Liger face at this show? Sound off in the comments section.

  • ROH Signs Former WWE Star & Producer

    ROH Signs Former WWE Star & Producer

    It looks like Ring Of Honor (ROH) has scooped up a former WWE Superstar and producer.

    PWInsider reports that ROH has signed former WWE Tag Team Champion Joey Mercury to a deal. Mercury will be used as a behind-the-scenes producer and trainer for the promotion. Mercury had already been training young stars at ROH’s Baltimore Dojo since May.

    Mercury’s Run With WWE

    Mercury signed with WWE as an in-ring talent back in 2004. He quickly formed a faction with Johnny Nitro and Melina which they called “MNM.” The trio wrestled for Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and were called up to the main roster in 2005.

    Nitro and Mercury won the WWE Tag Team Titles three times during their run. He suffered a high-profile injury in December of 2006 when he was struck in the face with a ladder. He broke his nose and orbital bone. Mercury was released soon after in March of 2007.

    Mercury worked the independent circuit for a year before deciding to retire. In 2010 Mercury returned to WWE and worked as an in-ring talent, trainer and backstage producer for several years before being released in January of last year.

  • First Match Set For ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV

    First Match Set For ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV

    The first match for the upcoming Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view event has been announced.

    On Tuesday (July 31st, 2018), the Baltimore-based promotion revealed that the Bullet Club (Cody, Adam Page, The Young Bucks, and Marty Scurll) vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Chuckie T, Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Rocky Romero) in a 10-man tag team match is slated to take place at this show.

    What’s interesting about this pay-per-view event is the fact that the promotion is setting up the venue for 9,5000 seats and tickets are slated to go on sale to HonorClub members on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 1pm ET and will go on sale for the general public on August 3 at 3pm ET.

    Ring of Honor is slated to hold their Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, September 28, 2018. The event will air on traditional PPV outlets and the FITE TV app. The promotion will be announcing more matches in the coming weeks.

    Last year’s event took place at Sam’s Live and was headlined by Cody vs. Minoru Suzuki for the ROH World Championship.

    What are your thoughts on this upcoming match? Do you plan on buying this pay-per-view event? Sound off in the comment section.

  • Christopher Daniels Praises Cody Rhodes For “Pioneering” Through Pro Wrestling Business

    Christopher Daniels Praises Cody Rhodes For “Pioneering” Through Pro Wrestling Business

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) star Christopher Daniels has a tremendous amount of respect for what Cody Rhodes is doing.

    Rhodes and The Young Bucks are self-funding an “All In” event from the Sears Centre in Illinois on September 1st. The arena, which holds over 10,000 fans, sold out very quickly for the show.

    Not to mention the enormous amount of singles success Rhodes has seen since departing from WWE. Daniels spoke to GiveMeSport recently and credited Rhodes for “pioneering” through the professional wrestling industry lately:

    “I’ve had nothing but good experiences working with Cody [Rhodes]. He’s pioneering, he’s making his own way in professional wrestling and he’s one of the best examples of going outside of the WWE and finding success.

    “It’s great to see that happening for him. I was a big fan of his work when he was in the WWE and to see the change from the ‘Dashing’ Cody Rhodes, Stardust to what he is now, it’s pretty cool to know that he bet on himself and now is succeeding in a way a lot of people want in their own career – it’s cool to know that he is making it happen.”

  • Flip Gordon Signs New Contract With Ring of Honor

    Flip Gordon Signs New Contract With Ring of Honor

    One of the fastest rising prospects on the Ring of Honor roster has re-signed with the company.

    According to a report from PW Insider, Flip Gordon has just reached a deal with Ring of Honor which will keep him in the promotion through to 2020. He still has yet to reach a deal with Cody and the Young Bucks to participate at All-In on September 1st, 2018, however.

    It has been a big year for Gordon. Not only has he re-signed with Ring of Honor but Gordon also made his debut in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament in Japan this spring. His new deal with ROH means he’ll likely find himself in the tournament again next year. His new contract also ensures he will be with the promotion when they run Madison Square Garden over WrestleMania weekend next year.

    Flip Gordon Ring of Honor

    Gordon began his pro-wrestling career in 2015 and found himself on the Ring of Honor roster in 2017.

    Earlier this year, Gordon spoke with reporter Chris Van Vliet about his attempts to join Bullet Club. “I tried. Kenny and Cody didn’t want me in there,” Flip said. “So if The Bucks can convince them then sure.”

    Earlier this summer, Gordon spoke with the New York Post about being positioned as a little-brother type character on Being the Elite.

    “It’s kind of funny because I’ve never been the little brother,” Gordon said. “I’ve always been the oldest brother out of my family. I’ve never had an older brother. I always looked to my cousins or other people that I looked up to as big brothers. So it’s kind of funny. I guess that is kind of my character because the Young Bucks, Marty, all them are like big brothers to me.”

    Ring of Honor will be back on the road in mid-August. They’ll run shows from Edinburgh, Doncaster, and London before returning to Philadelphia on August 25th.

  • Is CM Punk Interested In ROH’s MSG Offer?

    Is CM Punk Interested In ROH’s MSG Offer?

    If there was ever a better time for CM Punk to return to professional wrestling, it’s now.

    The former WWE Champion’s mixed martial arts (MMA) career is currently on the decline. Punk recently suffered his second consecutive loss under the UFC’s banner in June. After the loss there has been a ton of speculation that he could return to wrestling.

    The possibility of Punk returning to the squared circle has drawn interest from Ring Of Honor (ROH). The promotion is reportedly interested in booking Punk for their upcoming Madison Square Garden joint-show with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in April.

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that the chances of Punk returning for ROH are “slim.” It appears those close to Punk say he currently has no interest in participating in pro wrestling.

    Punk’s Recent History

    Punk departed from WWE back in January of 2014. The UFC inked Punk to a multi-fight deal just several months later. The former WWE Champ made his Octagon debut in September of 2016.

    He succumbed to the jiu-jitsu skills of Mickey Gall in the first round. Punk trained for two more years before taking another fight. He squared off with former Houston Golden Gloves winner Mike Jackson this past June.

    Although Punk went the distance with Jackson, he was defeated in a lopsided decision. Now with an 0-2 record in fighting Punk’s MMA career looks unclear. Many professional wrestling fans would love to see him return to the ring, but Punk seems to have no interest.

    Only time will tell if Punk ever wrestles again.

  • Cody Chimes In On  Total Divas Using “All-In” Slogan

    Cody Chimes In On Total Divas Using “All-In” Slogan

    WWE’s Total Divas are All In. No, they won’t be appearing at Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks’ big independent wrestling show on September 1st. However, promotional materials hyping the September 19th premiere of Total Divas Season 8 features the phrase All In repeatedly.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkELCwdrRQI

    The Young Bucks & Bella Twins Acknowledge Total Divas’ “All In” Marketing

    Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks took notice of WWE and the E! Network using the phrase “All In” to market Total Bellas.

    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1022505267873832961

    Nikki Bella responded to Matt and revealed they also realized something was amiss.

    Cody’s Response to Total Divas Use of The Term “All-In”

    Cody does not seem phased by WWE’s use of the term “All-In”. His opinion appears to be that this was not something done on purpose but rather a case of a production team not being aware of other things going on in wrestling.

    A fan asked him about it on Twitter recently:

    “Could care less. It’s not the girls’ fault that whoever built that campaign had their head lodged in their ass Most in that office that aren’t involved with wrestling/LE coordination are just checking their Facebook hoping the boss doesn’t notice they don’t do any actual work”

    All In: September 1st, 2018

    As of this writing, there are just 36 days until All In takes place in Chicago. We know Cody will challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship that night but we don’t yet know who the champion will be. All signs are pointing to Nick Aldis still holding the ten pounds of gold come that time, however.

    On the latest episode of Being the Elite, a match between “the Bad Boy” Joey Janela and Adam “Hangman” Page was scheduled. Some fans may have assumed Page would be put in a match with Joey Ryan. In storyline, however, Ryan is missing and presumed dead. It’s not clear how this will impact the match between Page and Janela, however.

    Cody has also said he personally walked around the Sears Center in Chicago to ensure each seat had a good view.

    “You’ll be good!” Cody responded to a fan asking about his seat’s view on Twitter. “We compromised on stage size a bit because we wanted as many seats filled as possible.”

  • Alex Shelley Appears To Be Retiring From The Ring

    Alex Shelley Appears To Be Retiring From The Ring

    Alex Shelley appears to have retired from in-ring competition. For the time being, at least.

    Last month, it was reported that Shelley’s Ring of Honor contract had expired and he was going to spend time focussing on pursuing a career as a physical therapist.

    He suffered an injury in June and has been out ever since. Recent Twitter activity from Shelley seems to suggest he’s moved on from his wrestling career, however.

    Is Alex Shelley Saying Goodbye?

    Shelley posted the following in regards to Motor City Machine Guns’ “final match”:

    Will Ospreay gave his thoughts on Alex Shelley’s career. Ospreay recently launched his own promotion, Frontline Wrestling.

    https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1021706471774404610

    Alex Shelley’s Injury in June

    Shelley took to Twitter to describe his latest injury.

    “Long story short: my teeth got knocked out alongside a concussion that made me time travel. And it all goes to hell from here,” Shelley Tweeted on June 4th, 2018.

    “That said, Ring of Honor takes care of their athletes when injured and practices the most ethical business practices possible. Not all major companies I have wrestled for could say that. NJPW could though.”

    “Ironic considering this happened 3 years ago in NYC as well,” Shelley continued. “And that was the turning point for me to pursue physical therapy. Ain’t no PT for teeth and traumatic brain injuries.”

    Alex Shelley’s Career

    The 35-year-old has had a decorated 14-year career in the business. He started his pro-career in Ring of Honor in 2004 and would end it in the same promotion in 2018. He spent another 8 years in Impact Wrestling (then known as TNA).

    He’s also done a few stints in New Japan Pro Wrestling as well, including from 2012-2015 when he teamed with KUSHIDA as the Time-Splitters.

    Shelley is a former 5x IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag-Team Champion (3x with Chris Sabin and 2x with KUSHIDA). The Time Splitters also won the Super Jr Tag Tournament in 2012. The Motor City Machine Guns won gold in both Impact and ROH. Shelley is a 1x former X-Division Champion as well.

    Follow Alex Shelley on Twitter @Fakekinkade.

  • Spoilers: ROH TV Tapings From Center Stage In Atlanta (7/21/18)

    Spoilers: ROH TV Tapings From Center Stage In Atlanta (7/21/18)

    Ring Of Honor held its latest round of ROH TV tapings on Saturday night from Atlanta, GA. Here are the results from the tapings, courtesy of PWPonderings.com:

    – Dark match: Sal Rinauro beat “P Dawg” Mike Posey.

    – Chris Sabin defeated Scorpio Sky. Alex Shelley announced that he will be taking a hiatus from pro wrestling, which leaves his MCMG partner Chris Sabin the chance to pursue a singles career. Punishment Martinez came out and attacked the Machine Guns, but Scorpio Sky chased Martinez away.

    – Karen Q defeated Jenny Rose after a distraction by Kelly Klein.

    – FR Josie fought Eli Isom to a no-contest in a Top Prospect Tournament match. Jeff Cobb debuted by attacking both men.

    – Kenny King defeated Marty Scurll.

    – Christopher Daniels defeated Jay Briscoe by DQ when Mark Briscoe interfered.

    – Flip Gordon defeated Silas Young.

    – Ring of Honor Champion Jay Lethal defeated Jon Gresham in a 30-minute Iron Man match  to retain They were tied after the 30-minute time period and Lethal scored a pinfall in sudden death overtime.

    – Women of Honor Champion Sumie Sakai defeated Madison Rayne to retain.

    – Shane Taylor defeated Josh Woods.

    – Marcus Kross vs Charles Zanders fought to a no-contest in a Top Prospect Tournament match when Jeff Cobb interfered again.

    – Chuck Taylor and Trent Barreta defeated Silas Young and Bully Ray after Bully walked out on Young.

    – Frankie Kazarian defeated Mark Briscoe.

    – Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas defeated The Dawgs and Cheeseburger & Ryan Nova in a Triple Threat tag match.

    – Cody and The Young Bucks defeated The Kingdom to win the ROH Six-Man Tag Titles. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis was on commentary for the match.

  • Cody To Reprise Role On Stephen Amell’s “Arrow”

    Cody To Reprise Role On Stephen Amell’s “Arrow”

    Cody will be back on the comic-book superhero show, Arrow this season.

    The former ROH World Champion had previously stated he dyed his hair back to black due to an upcoming television commitment. It’s possible this is what he was referring to.

    https://twitter.com/ALL_IN_2018/status/1020821279778254848

    Cody In Entertainment

    Cody’s IMDB credits for non-wrestling related entertainment is on the rise. He previously appeared in the WAGS Atlanta reality television show this year as well.

    He also appeared in two episodes of Arrow in 2016 and 2017.

    41 Days Until Cody Challenges For NWA World Heavyweight Championship

    There are just 41 days left until All-In on Saturday, September 1st, 2018. Cody is scheduled to face whoever is the NWA World Heavyweight Champion for the belt on the show.

    The current Champion, Nick Aldis, recently defended the title successfully against Flip Gordon on an ROH show from Nashville Friday night. Had Flip won, not only would he have won the NWA title, he would have qualified for All-In.

    During the match, Cody began cheering for Flip and appeared to turn the corner in regards to his opinion of him. It’s possible Flip’s performance in the match might be enough for Cody to book him at All-In regardless of the fact he didn’t win.

    We will most likely be updated on Flip Gordon’s All-In status early this week when the next episode of Being the Elite is release.

    “Valiant attempt,” Cody Tweeted in reference to Gordon’s performance Friday night. “Made me a fan.”

  • ROH: Honor For All 7/20 Results: Did Flip Gordon Win the NWA Title?

    ROH: Honor For All 7/20 Results: Did Flip Gordon Win the NWA Title?

    Ring of Honor presented “Honor for All” from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium tonight. The main event featured Flip Gordon challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

    Not only was the NWA title on the line, however, if Flip wins he will earn the right to defend the title against Cody at All-In.

    ROH: Honor For All
    July 20th, 2018
    Nashville, TN
    Nashville Municipal Auditorium

    1. ROH TV Championship
    Punishment Martinez (c) defeated Scorpio Sky (SCU)

    This was Martinez’ second title defense. He defeated Silas Young for the belt on June 16th and would later defend it successfully against Hangman Page at Best in the World 2018.

    2. WOH Championship Proving Ground Match (non-title but if the challenger wins they earn a title shot at a later date)
    Sumie Sakai (c) defeated Karen Q

    Karen Q attempted to distract the ref and then attempted to convince the ref that Sumie Sakai was going to hit her with the championship belt. All of this led to Karen Q trying to pick up Sakai in a fireman’s carry but Sakai reversed it into a sunset flip and got the pin.

    3. Jonathan Gresham defeated Shane Taylor, Chris Sabin, and Kenny King

    After Shane Taylor had taken out the others in the match, Jonathan Gresham got a hold of his back and never let go. He locked in a sleeper and with both Sabin and King out of the equation at that point in the match, Taylor went out and the ref called for the bell.

    4. Chuckie T defeated Bully Ray via DQ

    Bully Ray has been picking on smaller wrestlers and young lions for the past several months. Chuckie T been wrestling for 16 years, however, which Bully Ray pointed out. Bully said he has no problem with Chuckie and even said he’s a fan. He even mentioned Chuck’s work in Pro Wrestling Guerilla and compared it to ECW.

    When Chuckie T got on the mic, however, he told Bully Ray where he could shove all those nice things he said about him.

    Not long after the match started, Bully kicked Chuckie in the groin to cause the disqualification. He continued to beat on Chuckie until Colt Cabana left the broadcast station to make the save. Bully ended up getting the advantage on Cabana as well though. This brought out a returning Beretta to make the save!

    5. Will Ferrara, Rhett Titus, Silas Young, the Beer City Bruiser defeated Cheeseburger, Eli Isom, Ryan Nova, FR Josie vs

    Cheeseburger teamed up with 3 Future of Honor wrestlers in Eli Isom, Ryan Nova, and FR Josie. In the end, it was the more established heel team who picked up the victory, however.

    6. Marty Scurll defeated Vinnie Marseglia

    Before the match, Matt Taven came out in streetwear. He brought the old ROH World Title with him, though he kept the belt covered with a red tarp for his whole promo. Taven eventually said that Scurll would not face him tonight, he would face his Kingdom minion, Vinny Marseglia instead.

    Scurll made Marseglia tap to the chicken-wing but Taven hit the ring after and the Kingdom started teaming up on Scurll. This brought out Cody to make the save and led into the next match between Cody and TK O’Ryan.

    7. Cody defeated TK O’Ryan

    Security had to separate Cody and Scurll from the Kingdom. Eventually, Scurll, Taven, and Marseglia were sent to the back. Brandi Rhodes and Bernard the Business Bear were allowed to stay, however.

    Cody picked up the win with the Cross Rhodes and celebrated with Bernard and Brandi before leaving the ring area.

    8. NWA World Heavyweight Championship
    Nick Aldis (c) defeated Flip Gordon

    As much as Flip’s fans wanted it to happen, Flip Gordon did not defeat Nick Aldis for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Cody joined the commentary team for this match. He said that in 5-7 years, Flip Gordon might be a franchise guy but he’s not ready yet. Cody continued to say that he considered this match an open-workout for Aldis.

    Aldis took control early. He hit a standing suplex, a couple of fall-away slams, a modified camel clutch and a chin lock. Flip began his comeback after the chinlock, hitting several springboard moves. He hit a springboard dropkick, running kick in the corner, a suicide dive, and a diving moonsault. He began selling as if he had tweaked his knee, however, which led the commentary team to speculate that Flip is too inexperienced to change his gameplan mid-match due to injury.

    Flip missed a diving move which allowed Aldis to hit a Jerry Lawler-style piledriver and then a flying elbow. He pinned Flip after the flying elbow. The ref counted Flip’s shoulders down for 3 but Flip had actually gotten his bottom foot on the rope. The match was awarded to Aldis but several refs and even Cody came down to argue. It was declared a “Dusty Finish” and the match was restarted. Flip hit a suicide dive on Aldis to re-start the match.

    Gordon hit a Star-Spangled Stunner for a near fall. Cody started cheering for Flip at this point while back at the commentary booth. Flip then went for a springboard move but tripped on the ropes and went down selling his knee. Aldis got back on offense, locked in the cloverleaf, and Flip eventually passed out causing the referee stoppage.

    After the match, Cody came to ringside. Aldis and Cody helped Flip to his feet. Cody raised Flip’s arm as the crowd chanted “All-In” and later “Flip! Flip!”

    After Cody left Flip in the ring by himself to celebrate, Bully Ray hit the ring and hit Flip low.

    9. The Young Bucks defeated the Briscoes, and The Addiction (non-title match)

    In 2018, Jay and Mark Briscoe have become the biggest anti-Bullet Club threat in Ring of Honor. This was a non-title match but the commentary team mentioned that if either the Bucks or the Addiction win they could get the next shot at the Briscoes’ titles.

    The Bucks hit a Meltzer Driver on Mark Briscoe for the win, seemingly putting them in a position now to challenge the Briscoes for the tag-team titles.

    The Bucks celebrated to close the show.

  • Report: CM Punk A ‘Long Shot’ for ROH WrestleMania Weekend at MSG

    Report: CM Punk A ‘Long Shot’ for ROH WrestleMania Weekend at MSG

    Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling will be holding the biggest non-WWE wrestling event in New York City this century when they arrive at Madison Square Garden on WrestleMania weekend (April 6th 2019).

    There have been numerous reports over the past few weeks alluding to a potential intervention from WWE to prevent this historic show from even happening. Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff recently spoke to the Wrestling Observer about the change of heart from MSG officials when a lawsuit against the decision to “block” the event almost became a reality: “(MSG) did what they had to do as a business and I guess all of a sudden there was a phone call and we were able to work it out. That’s probably their story to tell because they made the call and said, ‘let’s get on the phone and see if we can work this out.’ They wanted us. They knew that we would be a good promotion. I think they were just looking for a satisfactory outcome for all parties.” You can read the full report here.

    With the show taking place on WrestleMania weekend the question now moves onto who will actually be appearing? Ring of Honor have already confirmed that “all of the top ROH Stars” will be present (which was to be expected) but who will be representing NJPW?

    The official names already confirmed are Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tetsuya Naito. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks are not being advertised as their NJPW deals could potentially have expired by this point (their deals are reported to be January to January).

    If Omega and the Bucks resign for NJPW then you can guarantee that they will be announced for Madison Square Garden around January/February however with the event running against a huge NXT Takeover there will need to be big international drawing names confirmed and as soon as possible…The Wrestling Observer recently revealed that Ring of Honor have serious interest in bringing former WWE Champion CM Punk back into the fold, presumably for the MSG show but at this time it is considered a ‘long shot.’ Allegedly “feelers have been sent” but that is as much as we know at this time.

    Could CM Punk return to Ring of Honor? Punk’s fame and notoriety is almost the stuff of legend at this point. Every single pro wrestling company in the world would jump at the opportunity to get him on their books. Punk himself stated that he was “done” with wrestling prior to his recent UFC loss to Mike Jackson so have his views changed? Only Punk could tell you that.

    The lure of performing in the main event of a Madison Square Garden show AND potentially taking a shot at WWE might be too good an opportunity to miss…but does CM Punk even NEED to return to the squared circle at this point? Again, only Punk could tell you. If Punk does decide to return then a match against Kazuchika Okada for the ‘Best In The World’ moniker would undoubtably sell out MSG, so here’s hoping that might happen.

    Do you think that CM Punk could return to wrestling for the Madison Square Garden show? Let us know in the comments.

  • Billy Corgan Comments On Flip Gordon vs Nick Aldis For NWA Title

    Billy Corgan Comments On Flip Gordon vs Nick Aldis For NWA Title

    Billy Corgan took ownership over the NWA on October 1st, 2017. The NWA Heavyweight Champion at that time was Tim Storm. Nick Aldis would take the title from Storm just 2 months later, however.

    Tonight in Nashville, TN, Nick Aldis will defend his title against Flip Gordon on a Ring of Honor show. Not only is the NWA title on the line, however, if Flip wins he would then be in a position to defend the title against Cody at All-In.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5H2JskajLY&frags=pl%2Cwn

    Nick Aldis (c) vs Flip Gordon – NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match

    “Mr. Aldis you say you’re the dealer. Cody, you’re the gambler. Well, I’m the house,” Corgan stated. “Flip Gordon deserves this title shot and I’m a businessman first and foremost. The buzz around this match is real. And in this very building, Flip Gordon will have a chance to make history, Mr. Aldis.”

    Corgan continued to say he won’t be in attendance for the match tonight as he will be playing a concert nearby.

    Ring of Honor – Honor For All
    July 20th, 2018
    Nashville, TN
    Nashville Municipal Auditorium

    • NWA World Heavyweight Championship
      Nick Aldis (c) vs Flip Gordon
    • The Briscoes vs the Young Bucks vs The Addiction (non-title match)
    • ROH TV Championship
      Punishment Martinez (c) vs Scorpio Sky
    • ROH World Championship
      Jay Lethal (c) vs Silas Young
    • WOH Championship Proving Ground Match (non-title but if the challenger wins they earn a title shot at a later date)
      Sumie Sakai (c) vs Karen Q
    • Bully Ray vs Chuckie T
    • Cody vs TK O’Ryan
    • Marty Scurll vs Matt Taven
    • Kenny King vs Shane Taylor vs Chris Sabin vs Jonathan Gresham

    Tomorrow Ring of Honor head to Atlanta. They will film a set of television tapings from Center Stage in the city. They will then travel to Edinburgh, Doncaster, and London in August before returning to Philadelphia for another set of tapings in late August.

  • New Details Regarding WWE and ROH-Madison Square Garden Deal

    New Details Regarding WWE and ROH-Madison Square Garden Deal

    Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling will be running a joint show on April 6th, 2019. The night before WrestleMania 35 the G1 Supercard will emanate from Madison Square Garden in New York.

    Although the deal between ROH/NJPW and Madison Square Garden is now confirmed, it almost didn’t happen. ROH indicated MSG backed out of their initial verbal agreement after WWE spoke to them. ROH COO, Joe Koff, also indicated ROH was looking at taking legal action as they felt MSG had already committed to the deal despite a contract not being signed.

    Yesterday, it was reported that WWE officials were not happy they were seen as sabotaging the deal. Today, further details regarding the situation were released.

    It appears that once ROH took legal action, MSG contacted them and agreed to the April 6th, 2019 date so that the legal action would be dropped.

    “We were very aggressive in wanting that date and we thought we had that date, but we did what we had to do as a business” Koff told the Wrestling Observer.

    “(MSG) did what they had to do as a business and I guess all of a sudden there was a phone call and we were able to work it out. That’s probably their story to tell because they made the call and said, ‘let’s get on the phone and see if we can work this out.’ They wanted us. They knew that we would be a good promotion. I think they were just looking for a satisfactory outcome for all parties.”

    G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden

    Koff would also say that the success of All-In helped the company decide to produce such a big show.

    “[All In] certainly changed the landscape in the thinking of what is possible and I think in this world of possibility, I think they really clearly illuminated what is possible. I think if there was All In, or not, because of the weekend and what it represents, and our involvement always in that weekend, we probably would have thought a little more cautiously about the size of the crowd. It certainly didn’t hurt.”

  • Final Card For ROH Honor For All Event (7/20)

    Final Card For ROH Honor For All Event (7/20)

    Ring of Honor returns this weekend with a new event in the Tennessee region.

    The Baltimore-based promotion has released the lineup for their upcoming “Honor For All” event that is slated to go down this Friday night in Nashville, TN at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium that will air their streaming service, Honor Club.

    Some of the big matches that are being advertised for this show include The Briscoes vs. The Young Bucks vs. The Addiction in a three-way match, Punishment Martinez defending the ROH TV Title against Scorpio Sky, and Jay Lethal defending the ROH World Title against Silas Young.

    The Card

    Non-Title Match: The Briscoes vs. The Young Bucks vs. The Addiction

    ROH TV Title Match: Champion Punishment Martinez vs. Scorpio Sky

    ROH Title Match: Champion Jay Lethal vs. Silas Young

    Proving Ground Match: WOH Champion Sumie Sakai vs. Karen Q

    Bully Ray vs. Chuckie T

    Cody vs. TK O’Ryan

    Marty Scurll vs. Matt Taven

    Kenny King vs. Shane Taylor vs. Chris Sabin vs. Jonathan Gresham

    NWA Title Match: Champion Nick Aldis vs. Flip Gordon

    As a reminder, ROH will hold a TV taping the following night (July 21st) in Atlanta, GA at the Center Stage so make sure to be on the lookout for spoilers posted on the site following that taping.

    What are your thoughts on this card? Is it something that you plan on watching? Sound off in the comment section.

  • Jeff Cobb To Debut For Ring Of Honor This Weekend

    Jeff Cobb To Debut For Ring Of Honor This Weekend

    Former Olympian Jeff Cobb will debut this weekend for Ring of Honor at the Saturday Night at Center Stage TV tapings from Atlanta, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. Cobb noted on Twitter that he has not signed an exclusive deal with ROH.

    After representing Guam at the 2004 Olympic games in men’s freestyle wrestling, Cobb went pro in 2009 and has been making a name for himself in various promotions across the world.

    Known for his amateur credentials, power move-set and agility, Jeff Cobb has long been one of the top free agent prospects in the industry. He’s competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Lucha Underground, PWG, Progress, MLW and more.

    Several months ago, it was reported that Impact Wrestling offered him a 2-year deal. He has independent bookings scheduled through the end of August, including an appearance for ICW on July 29th and a match against Brian Cage on August 19th for California Vagabond Wrestling.

    With WWE continuously signing top independent talent and Ring of Honor looking to hold its ground and build momentum, this is a very strong acquisition for ROH.