Ring of Honor garnered attendance records, launched a streaming service, and broke new ground in 2018. Despite this, many fans are skeptical regarding ROH’s ability to build upon their most successful year ever as we enter 2019.
The reason some are pointing to in regards to skepticism the promotion can continue its string of success is that members of the Elite are departing the company. Cody, Hangman Page, and the Young Bucks won’t be on the ROH full-time roster next year. Marty Scurll’s contract with the promotion ends this spring as well.
Those who have followed ROH since the beginning are aware this is nothing new for the promotion, however. ROH has been built upon a foundation of wrestlers building up their names and then leaving. The only ones who never have are the Briscoes, and they seem to be just where they want to be.
ROH Roster In 2019
Out: The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes and Adam “Hangman” Page.
In: Jeff Cobb, PCO, Brody King, Bandito and Mark Haskins
Granted, the talent in the “Out group” is considerable, but so is the talent in the “In Group”. One notable difference between those leaving and those coming in, however, is that ROH has brought in 3 heavyweights who spent much of this year wrestling each other on the independents. I attended a triple threat match between Jeff Cobb, PCO, and Brody King which took place for Smash Wrestling this year. They were all signed by ROH just a few months later.
There are also rumors that Bandido’s tag-team partner, Flamita could be on his way to ROH. The pair team as “Mexa Blood” and have won tag belts in Progress and the Crash.
In terms of popularity, losing the Elite is significant. In terms of in-ring talent, you can make the argument those coming in have just as much to offer as those who have left, however.
NWA and Ring of Honor
Nick Aldis and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship made an appearance Friday at Final Battle. Aldis applauded for Jay Lethal from the entrance ramp, all but letting the champion know he wants a title match.
The Aldis/NWA/ROH relationship we see in 2019 could be interesting as well. How it plays into what Billy Corgan and the NWA have planned is anyone’s guess at this point. Clearly, the two sides have come to an agreement to work together, however.
NJPW In Ring of Honor Next Year
One of ROH’s biggest draws is their relationship with NJPW. Every year ROH parades around a group of NJPW stars for their Global Wars or War of the Worlds tours. As NJPW continues to grow in popularity, so too will their joint shows with ROH, including this spring inside Madison Square Garden.
Zack Sabre Jr and Juice Robinson are two names ROH is expected to feature more of in the next calendar year. Even the 2019 version of NJPW’s Bullet Club, featuring members of the Firing Squad who kicked the Elite out, are possible for ROH next year. As both NJPW and ROH gear up for the Garden show in the first-quarter of 2019, expect NJPW stars to be a regular occurrence for ROH.
Wrestlers ROH Has Lost In the Past
Since 2002, ROH has hired good wrestlers who, for whatever reason, weren’t getting a shot elsewhere. Tyler Black, El Generico, Kevin Steen, and Bryan Danielson have all come and gone from Ring of Honor in addition to numerous others. Not only did the company keep moving forward after those departures, but they also grew, evolved, and got better. There is no reason to believe anything other than that will happen in 2019 as well.
