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| The current Ring Of Honor Wrestling (ROH) logo. A new logo will be revealed when ROH enters a new era with Supercard Of Honor. (Image Source: Wrestling Inc./Ring Of Honor Wrestling) |
The wrestling world is anticipating the opening of a new chapter and a new era for Ring Of Honor (ROH) Wrestling as it is set to return on Wrestlemania weekend with the Supercard Of Honor PPV event to take place on April 1, 2022 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. And while preparing for its return to live wrestling, the world of ROH never stops as the 20-year old professional wrestling organization has been providing unique content on its weekly television program aired worldwide on FITE and on its official YouTube channel featuring some of the most memorable moments prior to its hiatus as well as milestones from its archives.
Among such content is "This Is Women's Wrestling", a one-hour special documentary that provides an up-close and personal look at ROH's female athletes and takes viewers and professional wrestling fans behind the scenes and candid moments of the ROH Women's World Championship Tournament - from the start to the Finals at Death Before Dishonor last September 2021. The critically-acclaimed documentary includes footage not shown when it premiered on Ring Of Honor Wrestling on FITE and revealing - and emotional - interviews with former ROH Women's World Champion Rok-C, Miranda Alize, Trish Adora, Willow, Quinn McKay (now known as WWE NXT: LVL UP ring announcer Kelly Kincaid), Chelsea Green and ROH Board of Directors member Maria Kanellis-Bennett who is a major driving force in the revamped ROH women's division.
Coinciding with the celebration of its 20th year anniversary, ROH officially established its own Hall Of Fame where the organization honors outstanding athletes who have contributed greatly to one of the most influential professional wrestling organizations in the modern history of the industry. Throughout the month of February, ROH has introduced its inaugural Hall Of Fame class comprising of multi-time and current ROH World Tag Team Champions The Briscoes (Mark And Jay), Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe and CM Punk. Here's what you need to know about the first ROH Hall Of Fame inductees.
THE BRISCOES
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| (Image Source: Ring Of Honor Wrestling) |
On ROH’s debut show The Era of Honor Begins in 2002, 18-year-old Jay Briscoe, accompanied to the ring by his 17-year-brother Mark, competed in the first singles match in company history. At Final Battle: End of an Era last December 2021, the Briscoes defeated The OGK (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) to win the ROH World Tag Team Title for a record 12th time in an epic encounter that was voted the ROH Match of the Year.
The Briscoes are the two most-decorated wrestlers in ROH history and one of the greatest tag teams of all time. Dem Boys from Sandy Fork, Del., have had success in singles competition as well. Jay Briscoe is a two-time ROH World Champion and one of only five men to regain the title. The Briscoes also were two-thirds of the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions on one occasion. Outside of ROH, they’ve held the prestigious IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Title in New Japan Pro Wrestling, as well as tag team championships in several independent promotions.
The Briscoes are not solely defined by their impressive championship resume, however. They have been the heart and soul of ROH and emblematic of the company’s standard of excellence inside the squared circle. Whether they were wrestling in front of a couple hundred fans at a rec center or a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, Jay and Mark Briscoe sacrificed their bodies and gave everything they had to ensure the fans got their money’s worth.
BRYAN DANIELSON
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| (Image Source: Ring Of Honor Wrestling) |
The embodiment of fighting spirit and technical wrestling excellence, “The American Dragon” played a major role in establishing ROH as the Best Wrestling on the Planet, beginning with his performance in the main event on ROH’s debut show, The Era of Honor Begins, in 2002. Whenever “The Final Countdown” blared throughout the building as Danielson made his entrance to the ring, fans knew they were about to witness a true master of his craft at work.
A superior technician, striker and submission specialist, Danielson cemented his status as the best wrestler in the sport when he won the ROH World Title in 2005. His 462-day reign as ROH World Champion is the third-longest, and he made a record 38 successful title defenses. Danielson made history in 2006 when he defeated arch rival and ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness in Liverpool, England to merge the titles. He also won the inaugural Survival of the Fittest in 2004 and main-evented ROH’s first pay-per-view in 2007.
Danielson had many impressive victories in ROH, but one of his most memorable performances came in defeat. Just over four minutes into his match against then-ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima in 2007, Danielson suffered a detached retina as a result of the Japanese powerhouse’s clubbing blows. Morishima targeted Danielson’s injured left eye throughout the match, but Danielson showed incredible toughness and heart and came within a fraction of a second of winning before Morishima ultimately prevailed after more than 20 dramatic minutes.
After leaving ROH in 2009, Danielson would gain world-wide fame in WWE where he main-evented WrestleMania in 2014 before more than 75,000 fans at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Danielson is currently one of the top stars in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
SAMOA JOE
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| (Image Source: Cageside Seats/Ring Of Honor Wrestling) |
From the first time he stepped into an ROH ring in 2002, Joe proved to be an intimidating force whose hard-hitting offense, intensity and relentlessness made him one of the sport’s most dangerous competitors. “The Samoan Submission Machine” is arguably the most proficient American pro wrestler in the art of strong style, a form of pro wrestling popularized in Japan that emphasizes strikes and submissions.
In just his 10th match in ROH, Joe captured the ROH Title in March 2003. Two months later, Joe officially elevated the championship to world title status when he successfully defended it in London, marking the first time the championship had been defended outside the United States. Joe went on to hold the ROH World Championship for a record 645 days and make 31 successful title defenses. It’s not only the longest reign in ROH history, but at the time it was the longest world title reign in any U.S.-based pro wrestling company in 15 years. During Joe’s historic reign, he and CM Punk engaged in an epic trilogy of matches that have become legendary. They wrestled to two 60-minute draws before Joe won their final meeting.
Six months after losing the ROH World Title, Joe won the ROH Pure Championship. After leaving ROH in 2007, Joe won the TNA World Heavyweight Title in April 2008 by defeating Kurt Angle at TNA's Lockdown PPV. Joe returned to ROH in 2015 for a series of matches before he departed for WWE, where he became the first two-time NXT Champion.
CM PUNK
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| (Image Source: Wrestling Headlines/Ring Of Honor Wrestling) |
Punk made his ROH debut in 2002 and experienced a meteoric rise thanks to his in-ring ability, mic skills and brash attitude. One of the most charismatic and compelling performers in ROH history, he incited fans by proclaiming that his straight edge lifestyle “means I’m better than you.”
Punk had many memorable moments in ROH, including the iconic “Summer of Punk,” which began when he won the ROH World Championship in June 2005 right after accepting a deal with WWE. Throughout the summer, Punk taunted ROH fans by repeatedly threatening to take the ROH World Title with him to WWE. He lost the title that August. In 2004, Punk engaged in an epic trilogy of matches with then-ROH World Champion Samoa Joe that have become legendary. They wrestled to two 60-minute draws before Joe prevailed in their final meeting. Punk also had a heated rivalry with Raven that is regarded as one of the greatest feuds in ROH history. They waged war against each other in unforgettable dog collar and steel cage matches. In addition to his ROH World Title reign, Punk also won the ROH World Tag Team Championship on two occasions as a member of The Second City Saints.
After leaving ROH, Punk became one of the biggest stars in the industry in WWE. He wrestled in main events against the likes of The Rock and John Cena, and his 434-day reign as WWE Champion is the sixth-longest in company history. After stepping away from pro wrestling for more than seven years and a short-lived but disappointing foray into mixed martial arts, Punk made his return last year in AEW in front of his hometown crowd in Chicago, Illinois where he continues to be one of the promotion’s top stars.
ROH's Supercard Of Honor will definitely mark the start of a new era for the promotion as one of its major components is the unprecedented level of fan engagement in which ROH and wrestling fans will be involved for the booking of not just Supercard, but also future events and new weekly ROH TV episodes. Supercard Of Honor 2022 will feature eight matches headlined by a Winner Take All spectacular between current ROH World Champion Bandido and Jonathan Gresham, holder of the Original ROH World Championship, that will determine the undisputed ROH World Champion. For more news and updates on ROH Supercard Of Honor, visit ROHWrestling.com and Ring Of Honor Wrestling's official social media accounts.
