Former Ring of Honor (ROH) World Champion Matt Taven held the promotion’s top title for 174 days. He initially won the championship back in April during the ROH/New Japan Pro-Wrestling co-production G1 Supercard.
In an interview with Wrestlezone, Taven spoke about dealing with people who have been critical of his championship reign and ROH accomplishments.
“For so long I was scratching to get some sort of sniff at the World Title, and I was doing anything possible, and really letting anyone know that was stepping in my way, you know, ‘Screw you, Melvin, I’m Matt Taven, I’m meant to be in this position.’”
He continued, “[…] then once that happens, instead of hearing the negativity, you start to hear the people that support you a lot louder than you have in the past. And there’s been a big appreciation for the work that I’ve done.”
Reflecting on the support he’s received, Taven highlighted his own loyalty to those who have had his back over the years:
“In reality, I’ve always been loyal to the people that support me and the people that have backed me,” Taven said. “And now that that support has been growing – and I think the appreciation has grown with the loss of the Ring Of Honor World Title, it might seem that I have had a change of attitude, but I’ve always been with the people that support me and I will continue to be that way.”
When it comes to those who are critical of him, his character or his performance, Taven explained that, for him, it’s no longer about proving people wrong. Instead, he wants to have a better appreciation for those who have supported him throughout his career.
