Booking A Standalone Ring of Honor

With rumours abounding about ROH getting a TV show how can it be set apart from AEW and how should it be booked?

On the most recent episode of The Match Guide Podcast, Floyd Johnson Jr. and I looked into the exceptional Briscoes v FTR Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship match from Supercard of Honor in 2022. The match itself was fantastic and set the scene for a string of high quality pay-per-views that ROH has put on since Tony Khan’s purchase of the company in 2022, however, conversation eventually moved to the state of ROH beyond PPV.

It is pretty much universally agreed upon that it is better that ROH is still an operating company under Khan, rather than sitting dormant as a video library asset consigned to the Balance Sheet of TKO. However, the week-to-week show since Khan relaunched the promotion has not exactly caught the imagination of even the most hardcore wrestling fans. There are many reasons for this to do with brand identity, lack of a unique selling point and being shot as an addition to existing AEW TV tapings but a key one that cannot be overlooked is the lack of an easily accessible weekly TV show.

The current scuttlebutt doing the rounds though is that AEW’s new TV deal will include a standalone Ring of Honor show on TruTV. If this is going to be the case, I believe it will not be successful unless ROH is able to develop a consistent roster with some big-name drawcard who only appear in Ring of Honor. Wrestling is an emotional and star driven business, every show needs wrestlers that fans can invest in each week and ROH is no different, so this week I've put down how I'd recruit a roster and book a standalone ROH if given the chance. It won’t mean acts on here never show up on AEW and it doesn’t mean that AEW wrestlers can’t ever show up in ROH but for the show to find its own identity and fanbase separate from just being an extension of AEW, then there will need to be a strong contingent of wrestlers primarily, ideally exclusively, booked on Ring of Honor.

As an aside, I would also love to see it go back to being a purely studio environment and potentially even have a different booker to further set it apart from AEW but for today I want to look at who I would choose to have on the Ring of Honor roster and what their initial booking direction would be.

For this exercise, I’m going to divide the roster up into main event, midcard & jobbers, tag teams and women's division. There aren’t hard boundaries between the main event, midcard and even the tag division but roster positioning is key in defining any wrestling company’s stars and is something ROH would need to establish early on. Under no circumstances will the main eventers in ROH be taking falls on AEW shows, if I was to have my own way they even work their at all so the company is more cleanly defined.

I’ve included who the current champions are but in a number of cases a new champion will be crowned early in the new show’s run as the current champs destinies lie on AEW, not in ROH.

Main Event Scene

I’ve always been of the belief that is very important to pick 3-5 wrestlers to be my key main eventers and use them as the anchors for all the show. Typically big ppv main events will be between a combination of main eventers and while they will interact with the midcard, they will rarely, if ever, take falls to them. It is something AEW nailed very early in establishing Mox, Jericho, Cody, Omega and Hangman as their main eventers and I’d look to replicate that successful formula in ROH.

Mark Briscoe - Current ROH Champion
The current Ring of Honor Champion would not actually be part of my roster on a long term basis. While I adore Briscoe and think he would serve an important link to ROH’s legacy, his position is now firmly on the AEW roster and as such he would lose very early on to the man I would place at the top of the division.

PAC
One of my favourite runs of wrestling TV is 2017-2018 205 Live. Barring a terrible three months with Enzo Amore as Cruiserweight Champion, it was one of the most consistently enjoyable week-to-week wrestling shows of the 2010s and the wrestler who set the standard early on in the show was PAC. He is nearly flawless in the ring, is very underrated on the mic and is someone both faces and heels can orbit narratively. As such, he would act as my initial champion, someone to put the championship in featured positions and build prestige through multiple strong defences.

His championship reign would be at least nine months and would have him put over very strongly as the standard bearer for wrestling in ROH, much in the same way he dominated and set the standard for 205 Live in 2017. He could mix it up with high profile midcarders on the roster and I’d also book some special guests from Tony Khan’s promotional partners NJPW and CMLL for special title defences. Ultimately this built up cache would be put towards a high profile feud with my second champion, but I’ll go into those details in a moment.

Will Hobbs
Something of a project wrestler for ROH. Hobbs has the size and charisma to be a huge star in pro wrestling but in AEW where there are multiple wrestlers that are a similar size, if not bigger than Hobbs and as such he has struggled to set himself truly apart. That would not be the case in my ROH where he would clearly be the ‘Big Guy’ of the company, someone who would initially run through the lowest of the midcard and work his way upwards into more competitive feuds that he would still win, ideally taking minimal falls (if any).

Depending on how he goes in this role his push could end in him winning the championship outright or becoming the stepping stone for the man who I plan to end up beating PAC.

Adam Cole
I have never been a huge Adam Cole fan, for whatever reason he has just never quite connected with me in the way he does for some. On top of this, his run in AEW has been cruelly cut off multiple times by injury, sometimes just as it looked like he was on the verge of truly breaking through. He has been out over a year at this point and I can’t see where he immediately fits into 2024 AEW when he returns, particularly after being unceremoniously beaten down and left in the dust by MJF when Maxwell returned at Double or Nothing. However, Cole is a wrestler with a strong historical link to pre-Tony Khan ROH and I believe in a small arena is someone who truly knows how to stand out. I also believe having someone who has been pushed as much as Cole exclusive to this division will also help legitimise ROH as a standalone promotion.

My ultimate plan for Cole would be for him to come back in Ring of Honor, separate from the Unidisputed Kingdom and as a face in a similar way that he returned in 2023. He would acknowledge how difficult his time in AEW has been and say that to build himself and his confidence back up, he needs to return to his roots in Ring of Honor. He would then begin a slow process of doing just that, feuding with the midcard before the story culminates in an eventual rivalry with PAC for the ROH Championship that he would ultimately win (although he may lose at least one time prior if PAC is particularly strong).

Sammy Guevara - Initial TV Champion
It is no secret that Sammy G is a divisive wrestler within the AEW fan base and someone who has been overtaken by many of his contemporaries as AEW’s roster has grown. However, it would be foolish to completely write off someone who is so obviously athletically gifted and has a long-term, built-up emotional connection with the AEW audience.

Currently, the ROH TV Championship is held by Atlantis Jr. from CMLL, that is not sustainable for a weekly tv show, so my plan for the title is to take another 205 Live element and announce a tournament for the title prior to the first True-TV episode. Over the first few weeks of the show, the tournament would take place with the winner eventually being Sammy G, beating Dustin Rhodes in the final. The male & female TV Champions would then alternate weeks with their defences so that every week the ROH TV show would have a TV Championship match and a setup for the next week for the alternating belt.

This booking leans into Sammy’s biggest strength, his in-ring work and I think could help rebuild some of his equity with the crowd. After being part of the TV Title scene Guevara would enter into a longer term program with his tag team partner Dustin Rhodes. If things havne’t worked out with Guevara at this point he would be cycled down but if he has managed to rebuild that audience equity he could be a candidate for the ROH Championship 18 months into the show’s run.

Midcard & Jobbers

I’ll be far briefer with my midcard as they more or less speak for themselves.

Dustin Rhodes: The veteran of the midcard, someone who can be relied to carry just about any program on the mic or in-ring. I have so many plans for Dustin including a long-term program with Sammy G, a big program with Hobbs culminating in a bloody Bunkhouse match, as well as work in the tag team division.

Shane Taylor: I’ve been very impressed by Shane Taylor Promotions and how they’ve managed to maximise their minutes in the spotlight in 2024. While they have served quite a bit of time on ROH already, in my new ROH they would have a highlighted role built around Shane and his stablemate Lee Moriarty.

Lee Moriarty - ROH Pure Champion: Lee is the current Pure champion, a championship I would continue to have as part of ROH as I think it provides a unique match type for the promotion and one that suits this midcard. Lee is a great starting point as it gives his stable instant credibility and he has successfully built a decent presentation around himself since he won the title.

Bandido: Someone that has been away for quite a while but a wrestler I’d have big plans for in ROH. On the AEW roster in 2024 I feel he would be lost behind current featured lucha acts such as Hologram and Beast Mortos however in this new ROH he could be a featured wrestler who gets significant ring time and promotional push. Most likely he would be the person to beat Geuvera for the TV Title but could also be put into the Pure division in a pinch too. Long-term Main Event prospect if things go right too.

Roderick Strong: A veteran that can be relied upon to drive a match and even a program. Would be a great challenger for any of the championships even if he never wins them.

Wheeler Yuta: Yuta would be broken off from the BCC to be part of the ROH midcard. While it was initially beneficial for him, I feel that in the BCC Yuta’s growth has been stymied by needing to be a pin eater for bigger names and he’s been more of a secondary concern in the stories of the main wrestlers in the faction so I want to give him a mini-reset in ROH. He is technically sound but in ROH I would challenge him to properly build and execute feuds on a week-to-week basis without having the BCC heavy-hitters to bring him along for the ride. He has audience equity so has the potential to move up to the main event scene but would need to prove himself first.

Scorpio Sky: Similar to Strong, Scorpio Sky is a wrestler that could challenge for any title at the drop of a hat. While I wouldn’t have him hold any, he is a known quantity that can be used to build up other wrestlers.

Angelico: Am I the only person who thinks Angelico is ridiculously underused for someone with such a unique style and a decent dose of charisma (or at least dance moves)? Well that music and dance would be getting hit on the regular in Sam Brown’s ROH. I would have him and his Yave style as a serious challenger and potentially a champion of the Pure Title but could also do some fun multi-match series with other midcarders too (particularly Bandido).

Josh Woods: Along with Shane Taylor Promotions the Premier Athletes would be a midcard staple in this ROH. Woods has always felt to me like someone with a look and ability deserving of a push him further up the card. As such I would have him as one of the first guys to actually take the fight to Hobbs, even if he ultimately lost and see if I can get some momentum off that to challenge for higher honours such as the TV or Pure Title.

Tony Nese: The other part of the Premier Athletes and a vet of my beloved 205 Live. Lots of options for him even if he loses more often than not.

Ari Daivari: Another part of the Premier Athletes. No particular plans for him but he is a good part of the team even if just as a pin eater.

Kip Sabian: Depending how things land, Sabian could well and truly push his way up this card. Another westler that could justifiably contend for either the Pure or TV Titles and hold his own from the first day of the promotion.

AR Fox: Fox has been in the dog house since All In last year, I would bring him into ROH and let him have big matches, maybe even a ROH Championship match against PAC, even if he is never quite a top guy. Could certainly be an option for the TV Title down the line.

Action Andretti: Has not had the chance to do much since he partnered up with Top Flight and is now the fourth man in the stable. I would like to see more from him and think in ROH it would be a chance on a smaller scale for him to find his feet.

Preston Vance: A project for the division, could be the successor to Hobbs as the ‘Dominant Big Man’ of ROH if things play out well. He has only wrestled three times in 2024 though so I’m not sure how much he really wants it. If he does, then he has a great look and long history in front of the fans.

Nick Comoroto: A bear of a man, I’d have him in every promotion I get the chance to even if he loses every match.

Peter Avalon: A super entertaining jobber. He’ll be running his mouth on the regular before getting shut down.

Tag Teams

This was the hardest division to book as the AEW main roster tag team division badly needs refreshment so locking teams into ROH would effectively take them away from that important project. As such, I’ve taken a minimalistic approach with only a few true teams but a number of similar midcard wrestlers put together and injected into the tag division as needed. I would temporarily suspend the ROH Trios Titles as I don’t think there are enough wrestlers or TV time for it and wouldn’t want to pull focus too heavily from the normal tag division. I would reserve the right to bring them back in the future though.

Dustin Rhodes & Sammy G - Current ROH Tag Team Champions: As noted above these two would both be strongly featured parts of my ROH and their initial run as tag team champions would be part of that. I’m not sure how long I’d have them hold the titles, at least one cycle, but ultimately they would lose it to the team I want to have as the centrepiece of the division

The Infantry: These guys are the team that I would truly book this division around. They are great promos, have their characters and presentation dialled in and their matches have an intensity that I like to see in tag team wrestling. A goal for the promotion would be to get these guys ready to make a splash on the AEW roster down the line.

Private Party: Private Party have had one of the most disappointing career trajectories in AEW. Hopefully, away from the deep pool and high pressure of the AEW tag division, they can use a more featured but lower-stakes spot to regain some of the spark and excitement they initially captured.

The Von Erichs: Another project team, I’m not sure how far they will go but with a legendary pedigree and seemingly the desire to better themselves, they would get regular matches in my ROH.

While that is all the pure tag teams I’d have initially, there are a number of teams that could be used to flesh out numbers from the midcard including: The Premier Athletes, Shane Taylor Promotions, AR Fox & Action Andretti and Angelico & Bandido.

Women’s Division

The women’s division is much like the tag team division in that they are pinching from a division in AEW that is not super deep. Thankfully in 2024 there is enough female wrestlers that we can have a strong cohort of ROH exclusive women to set this division apart.

Athena - Current ROH Women’s Champion: Athena has been an excellent champion but has done it all on the ROH roster, so much like Mark Briscoe I wouldn’t have her as Champion for too much longer before she moves onto the AEW roster. She would at least have two matches prior though, the first to hand it over to another strong champion and the second an earned rematch.

Hikaru Shida: This one hurts me a little but I think ultimately it would be best for the division and for Shida too if she was to be moved to ROH. She is in an interesting program currently in AEW, calling herself the Ace of the women’s division and while I am enjoying it, this division needs her as an Ace more than the AEW one does. She has shown time after time she can operate on a high level with just about anyone across the ring from her and her English promo ability has come along in leaps and bounds.

Like Cole Shida would be a marque name for the promotion, someone who could leverage her existing connection with the AEW audience to get people to tune into this show and legitimise ROH as a prestigious standalone promotion.

Red Velvet - Current Women’s TV Champion: Red Velvet is very much still a project wrestler with upside but room for improvement. While I don’t see her holding the women’s TV Title for long, having her wrestle every second week would be a great way to fast-track that development.

Ultimately I forsee the women’s TV Title hot potatoing around as the division takes shape and as different wrestlers are in need of experience.

Emi Sakura: The veteran joshi would fill a role very similar to that of Dustin in the men’s division. She could challenge for either belt in a pinch and more than hold her own in any program while also mentoring the younger wrestlers.

Serena Deeb: Once Shida is champion I would immediately have her and Deeb rekindle their awesome rivalry from 2021 & 2022. At some point Deeb would also be a great person to put the TV championship on and have her reinstate her ‘teaching segment’ gimmick.

Ruby Soho: When Soho gets back from giving birth to her first child I would move her immediately to ROH. She has never been an absolute top tier worker and in 2024 I think she will find it hard to carve out space on the AEW roster but she has a unique presence and in ROH would have the space to be a real feature player. Soho is a wrestler fans respect, so depending how she went when she gets back she could even be a Women’s Champion candidate down the line.

Billie Starkz: Another long-term project. I would try and give Starkz a rivalry with Emi Sakura and Sareena Deeb early on, basically have her go against all the veterans. She is someone I would one day want to have as my ROH Women’s Champion once she has enough experience.

Leyla Hirsch: In my ROH Hirsch would he part of Shane Taylor Promotions and she would be a big-time challenger for the TV title early on. I think her style would mesh very well with Deeb in particular.

Diamante: Another decent hand who hasn’t really found a place in 2024 AEW women’s roster but would be helpful to have in this roster.

Mercedes Martinez: Similar to Diamante but with a little more aura. I would probably put Martinez into the title picture early on in a gimmick match as I trust Shida & Martinez to go all out in that. She wouldn’t win often but could potentially be a PPV challenger if booked right.

Skye Blue: Blue has been on the AEW roster losing tv matches forever and is clearly someone Tony Khan wants to make into a star. A spell away from the AEW limelight would give her the opportunity to have longer matches where the pressure isn’t quite as high and develop before going back to AEW as a true contender.

So there we have it, that is how I’d recruit and book a standalone Ring of Honor. Let me know what you think, I’d love to see who you would pick if given the chance to do the same.

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Lastly, I am very excited to have a ticket to my very first AEW show! Grand Slam in Australia, this February. I’ve been following the promotion since day one and always wanted to see a show so am over the moon to finally have one just around the corner. If you are planning on being there please let me know, I’m going to be organising a social gathering either before or after the show for some drinks and if you’ve ever read my work I’d love to get to meet you.