RIng of Honor Hiatus Part 1

I learned of the news from noticing the stream that Ring of Honor personality Brian Zane had been answering certain questions he could answer and just discussing ROH as a whole. A while back I closed the ROH section of the website as it had become difficult to keep up with the promotions events and news around the company considering their status. Instead of fixating on certain subject and not giving an announcement of this magnitude a fair amount time I will be expanding my opinion to include various parts as opposed to just one. Below is the tweet taken from the official Ring of Honor Twitter account. 

pic.twitter.com/mbEbsmZjBH

— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) October 27, 2021

Prior to the launch of All Elite Wrestling in 2019 there was few that doubted Ring of Honor's position as one of the top three wrestling promotions in the United States. Not on the level of WWE, but certainly more stable then Impact Wrestling at the time it was clear ROH was a stable promotion to work for and knew where they belonged in the wrestling landscape. Initially, ROH called HDNET home which is now AXS TV or the home of a few different wrestling programs namely Impact Wrestling. In 2011, ROH was purchased by Sinclair Broadcasting which was a surprise to most in the wrestling world, but this move gave a struggling company more stability and a chance to expand it's presence in the world of wrestling. Sinclair was more widely accessible at the time compared to AXS which allowed ROH to be available in more homes across the country. 

The background is all well and good, but somewhere along the way the train got derailed and for the first time in twenty years the questions weren't around money for the promotion. Working agreements are excessively difficult, because both parties want to make sure their companies best interests are being met. Working agreements are especially tough when it comes to promotions in different parts of the world. 

Quote taken from cagesideseat.com article: "Word’s long been that Sinclair valued Ring of Honor as cheap content for their syndicated channels. That, and this statement’s promise that the company will return, certainly make it seem like they’ll be back next spring."

It is unclear what the plan is for Ring of Honor, but what we do know is Final Battle this year will take place and will be the last event until Supercard of Honor in April 2022. I don't believe that going on a hiatus is bad thing for any company! It allows for a chance to scout new and undiscovered talent, redefine a direction, and come up with a long term plan. I remember a few years ago when CZW did something similar and I even thought that WWE should've went on a hiatus for a few months last year to refine a direction. 

Ring of Honor does deserve praise for running the safest shows of any promotion in the United States during the pandemic. The presentation of the Pure and Women of Honor tournaments that have both taken place in the last year. I wish that the Women of Honor had more of an opportunity to continue to build the foundation of the division that had only laid the ground for before this announcement. I would expect that in April they'll pick right where they left off. On that note I will leave a link below to a letter written by Maria Kanellis Bennett who worked for the promotion and very closely with the restart of the ROH's women's division. Click here for the full letter!! 

As mentioned above will likely be reopening the ROH section of the site to give this story it's proper coverage and allow it to be housed were it should be in the proper section. I will continue to follow this story and share my opinion on the situation. All we know for sure is that another set of TV tapings and Final Battle are all that is left for 2021 before the company will go on a hiatus. I hope the best for Ring of Honor and all those amazingly gifted athletes that call ROH home.