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* [http://www.livejournal.com/community/ringofhonor Official Live Journal]
* [http://www.livejournal.com/community/ringofhonor Official Live Journal]
* [http://www.ringofhonor.wikia.com Ring of Honor Wiki]
* [http://www.ringofhonor.wikia.com Ring of Honor Wiki]
* [http://www.hittheropes.com/interviews/silkin.html Cary Silkin Interview with HitTheRopes.com]
{{Professional wrestling in the United States}}
{{Professional wrestling in the United States}}
{{Ring of Honor}}
{{Ring of Honor}}

Revision as of 16:12, 3 August 2009

For other uses, see Ring of Honor (disambiguation).
Ring of Honor
Company typePublic
IndustryProfessional wrestling
Founded2002
HeadquartersBristol, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Key people
Cary Silkin (Owner & Chairman)
WebsiteOfficial Site

Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein, and as of 2009 owned by Cary Silkin. ROH usually holds several shows each month throughout the midwest and east coast of North America. It has also held shows on the west coast, in Great Britain and in Japan and Southern and Eastern Canada. Annual shows include the "Anniversary Show(s)", "Supercard of Honor", "Death before Dishonor", "Glory by Honor", and "Final Battle" (the last show of the calendar year).

ROH records the majority of its shows and sells them on DVD through mail order and through its online store, which has developed a fanbase for the promotion in the United States and beyond. Ring of Honor broadcasts on The Fight Network to viewers in Canada (and also did so in the United Kingdom and Ireland until the channel stopped broadcasting in those markets on December 8, 2008), on Samurai TV to viewers in Japan and select shows on pay-per-view in the United States. In 2009, ROH signed a long-term television deal with HDNet.[1]

Ring of Honor features in the 2008 film The Wrestler, where it promotes the final bout of the film between Randy "The Ram" Robinson (played by Mickey Rourke) and The Ayatollah (played by Ernest "The Cat" Miller). Several wrestlers, including Nigel McGuinness, Claudio Castagnoli and Bobby Dempsey appear on film during the ROH scenes.

History

In April 2001, professional-wrestling video-distribution company RF Video wanted a new promotion to lead its video sales after its best-seller Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) went out of business. At the time RF Video also filmed events held by other, less-popular, regional wrestling promotions; it sold these through its catalog and website. RF Video owner Rob Feinstein decided to fill the ECW void by starting his own promotion, then distributing its made-for-DVD and VHS productions exclusively through RF Video. The first event, titled The Era of Honor Begins, took place on February 23, 2002. It featured nine matches, including a match between Eddy Guerrero and Super Crazy for the IWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, and a triple threat match between Christopher Daniels, Bryan Danielson and Low Ki, who would become known as the "founding fathers of ROH". In its first year of operation, ROH confined itself to a limited number of venues and cities (in the northeastern U.S.). Ten shows were run in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; two in Wakefield, Massachusetts,; one in metro Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and, one in Queens, New York. In 2003, ROH expanded to other areas of the United States, including Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Maryland. It also began to build its international identity by co-promoting an event with Frontier Wrestling Alliance in London, England.

In 2004 a sting operation (in which he tried to solicit sex from an adult posing as a minor) trapped Feinstein; as a result he left the company in June 2004.[2] In the aftermath of the scandal Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pulled its contracted wrestlers (including A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels) from all Ring of Honor shows.[3] Doug Gentry eventually bought Feinstin's stake; he later sold it to Cary Silkin.[4] ROH then started its own mail-order and online store, which sells DVDs of its live events and shoot interviews with wrestlers and managers, along with wrestling-related merchandise of other companies, including some competing promotions.

On January 23, 2007, ROH announced plans for a Japanese tour,[5] resulting in a July 16 show in Tokyo co-promoted with Pro Wrestling Noah and a July 17 show in Osaka co-promoted with Dragon Gate. Shortly after, ROH became the first U.S.-based promotion to have its titles held entirely by non-American wrestlers: the Dragon Gate team of Naruki Doi and Shingo held the ROH World Tag Team Championship while at the same time their fellow countryman, Pro Wrestling Noah star Takeshi Morishima, held the ROH World Championship.

On May 2, 2007, Ring of Honor announced the signing of a PPV and VOD deal with G-Funk Sports & Entertainment to bring ROH into homes with In Demand Networks, TVN, and the Dish Network. The deal called for six taped pay-per-view events to air every 60 days.[6] Because of the move to pay-per-view, TNA Wrestling immediately pulled its contracted stars (Austin Aries and Homicide) from ROH shows,[7] although TNA performers have since returned to the company. The first pay-per-view, titled "Respect is Earned", taped on May 12, first aired on July 1 on Dish Network.[8]

Ring of Honor continued to expand throughout 2008, debuting in Orlando, Florida on March 28, Manassas, Virginia on May 9 and Toronto, Ontario on July 25. On May 10, 2008, Ring of Honor set an attendance record in their debut show from the Hammerstein Ballroom in the Manhattan Center in New York City.[9] It had plans for shows in St. Louis, Missouri, Nashville, Tennessee, and Montreal before the end of 2008.[10] On October 26, 2008, the company announced the departure of head booker Gabe Sapolsky, and his replacement by Adam Pearce.[11]

On January 26, 2009, Ring of Honor announced that it had signed an agreement with HDNet Fights for a weekly television program.[1][12] The first tapings for Ring of Honor Wrestling took place on February 28 and March 1, 2009 at The Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[13]

Code of Honor

ROH distinguished its image from other promotions through the "Code of Honor", a set of rules dictating how wrestlers should conduct themselves during matches. The Code of Honor aimed to infuse Ring of Honor's matches with a feel similar to Japanese professional wrestling. Initially, the Code of Honor included five "Laws", which were mentioned at some point during each ROH home release. It was considered a "moral requirement" to follow these rules. They were (usually in this order):

  1. You must shake hands before and after every match
  2. No outside interference: no interfering in others' matches or having others interfere on your behalf
  3. No sneak attacks
  4. No harming the officials
  5. Any action resulting in a disqualification violates the Code of Honor

The Code of Honor (especially its first three rules) served principally to help heels get over quickly. The first rule applied especially to Christopher Daniels, whom the promotion pushed as its first major heel. Daniels and his faction, The Prophecy, did not believe in the Code of Honor, refusing to shake anyone's hand. The fourth and fifth rules emphasized ROH's match finishes, the vast majority of which resulted in 'honest' pins, submissions, or knockouts. On the rare occasion that a match did end with outside interference, a "ref bump", or some other traditional heel scenario, a much more visceral (negative) fan reaction occurred than would be seen elsewhere in the wrestling world. In the early days of the promotion, it was even suggested by commentators, within kayfabe, that getting disqualified in a match may result in that wrestler never appearing in ROH again.

In early 2004, ROH's booker at the time, Gabe Sapolsky, began to feel that the Code of Honor had run its course.[14] As a result, wrestlers no longer had to follow it. The Code of Honor eventually re-appeared — revamped — as three rules:

  1. Shake hands before and after the match—if you respect your opponent
  2. Keep the playing-field level
  3. Respect the officials

Contenders for championships

Originally, Ring of Honor had no formal way to determine challengers for its World Championship. When Xavier, a heel champion, began to avoid challengers, Ring of Honor instated a "Top Five Ranking" system to establish contenders to the title. It ranked wrestlers based on their general win-loss record, and on their win-loss record against other ranked competitors. The top contender held the Number One Contender's Trophy, which the company treated as a second championship at the time, and defended as such.

ROH abolished the ranking-system with the creation of the new Code of Honor. The ranking system disappeared, replaced by the "Contenders Ring", a more complex polling system whereby ROH officials would submit rankings after each show. Wrestlers who appeared on more than 75% of the ballots were considered[by whom?] to be in the Contenders Ring, which earned them title shots for both the World and Pure Championships.

In January 2005 Ring of Honor did away with the Contenders Ring. Instead, wrestlers who wanted a title shot had to submit a petition to ROH officials. After receiving such a petition, ROH officials kept track of the petitioner's record, quality of opposition, respect shown towards the Code of Honor, and inherent skill. These factors determined who would receive a title shot. Despite the petition system, ROH officials retained the ability to determine number-one contenders.

Upon the naming of Jim Cornette as ROH Commissioner in October 2005, Ring of Honor management confirmed the return of the "Top Five Ranking" system. Cornette and other ROH officials voted on the "Top 5" only during the first week of every month. Selection depended on won/lost record and quality of opposition, with a heavy emphasis on the previous month.

In July 2006 Ring of Honor again dropped the "Top 5" concept, as it had not consistently determined ROH World Title challengers. The champion at the time, Bryan Danielson, had instead sent open contracts to wrestlers in other promotions around the world, with ROH officials also choosing contenders from within the company. Subsequent champion Homicide would continue Danielson's policy, eventually losing the title to Takeshi Morishima from Pro Wrestling Noah. After Morishima won the belt, it seemed that he could choose his challengers, as he defended it (with ROH and Noah approval) at Noah's March 4, 2007 Budoukan Hall show against Kenta.[15]

Championships

Championship Champion(s) Previous champion(s) Date Won Location Event
ROH World Championship Austin Aries Jerry Lynn June 13, 2009 Manhattan, New York Manhattan Mayhem III
FIP World Heavyweight Championship Davey Richards Tyler Black May 2, 2009 Crystal River, FL FIP Unfinished Business 2009
ROH World Tag Team Championship The American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards)[16] Kevin Steen and El Generico April 10, 2009 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ring of Honor Wrestling
Shimmer Championship MsChif Sara Del Rey April 26, 2008 Berwyn, Illinois Shimmer Volume 18

Previous championships

Championship Final Champion(s) Defeated Date Won Location Event
ROH Pure Championship Bryan Danielson Nigel McGuinness August 12, 2006 Liverpool, England Unified
ROH Number One Contender's Trophy Matt Stryker vacant March 13, 2004 Elizabeth, New Jersey At Our Best
ROH Top of the Class Trophy Rhett Titus Ernie Osiris June 7, 2008 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Respect Is Earned II

Specialty matches

This match does not require participants to adhere to the Code of Honor and usually involves no disqualifications and the use of weapons. The more violent feuds in ROH typically end up with this match.
  • Round Robin Challenge
Three wrestlers/tag teams compete with each other in a round-robin tournament. They each wrestle two different matches (making a total of three matches), with the one(s) with the most victories winning the challenge. Only Christopher Daniels has ever won a Round Robin Challenge, as all others have ended in a draw with each participant(s) winning one match and losing the other. Many sports use round-robin tournaments as a common league system, such as soccer and ice hockey. It was popularized in wrestling by All Japan Pro Wrestling with their Champion Carnival tournament.

ROH Wrestling Academy

The ROH promotion also runs a professional wrestling school, the "ROH Wrestling Academy" in Bristol, Pennsylvania. As of 2009 Delirious operates as head trainer of the school, with previous head trainers of the academy including former ROH World Champions CM Punk, Austin Aries, and Bryan Danielson. The first three classes of students have already graduated and currently wrestle on the US independent circuit, including preliminary and exhibition matches at Ring of Honor events. ROH has a "Top of the Class" trophy to promote the students on the main show; while the Trophy is won and lost in matches, the winners are chosen by the School's head trainer.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Clevett, Jason (2009-01-26). "Ring of Honor signs deal with HDNET". SLAM! Sports. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  2. ^ "Crisis rocks ROH". 2004-03-04. Robert Feinstein announced today that he is leaving Ring Of Honor Inc. and RF Video Inc.
  3. ^ "2004 a year of triumph for Ring of Honor". 2005-02-16. The company took another setback when TNA pulled their contracted talent off of all ROH shows. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |arthur= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "2004 a year of triumph for Ring of Honor". 2005-02-16. "Fortunately, Cary Silkin, who is now the 100% owner of ROH, was saving us at that point," Sapolsky said.
  5. ^ "Newswire for the week of January 21st". 2007-01-23. Ring of Honor will be headed to Japan in July for two shows
  6. ^ "ROHwrestling.com". 2007-05-03. International Wrestling Phenomenon Ring of Honor Inks Stateside Television Deals
  7. ^ "Wrestling Observer". 2007-05-03. TNA has pulled all talent from both ROH and PWG
  8. ^ "International Wrestling Phenomenon Ring of Honor Inks Stateside Television Deals". 2007-05-02.
  9. ^ Goozie, John (July 5, 2008). "Death by Midwest: Ring of Honor". 411mania. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  10. ^ "Nigel McGuinness is Genuine". 2008-11-07.
  11. ^ "Ring of Honor Announcement: October 26, 2008". 2008-10-26. Ring of Honor is announcing that Gabe Sapolsky will be leaving the company effective immediately. Everybody at ROH would like to thank him for his contributions and wish him well in all future endeavors.
  12. ^ "HDNet Fights Announces Partnership with Ring of Honor". 2009-01-26.
  13. ^ http://rohwrestling.com/news/article.aspx?id=2566
  14. ^ "2004 a year of triumph for Ring of Honor". 2005-02-16. At the time I was really hating the 'Code of Honor'.
  15. ^ noah-usa.cc (2007-03-05). "Pro Wrestling NOAH News Archive". Takeshi MORISHIMA successfully defended his ROH World Title by defeating Kenta at Budokan Show in Tokyo Japan. Several months after Takeshi MORISHIMA's rain of Terror ON the PPV tapping of Undeniable, Nigel McGuinness took down Takeshi MORISHIMA winning the Ring of Honor World Title for the first time.
  16. ^ "Tag Title Match Set For Markham". Ring of Honor. ROHWrestling.com. 2009-04-11. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
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