Ring of Honor hot take: Old mistakes from the past being made today

ROH is echoing mistakes that TNA made early on.

Since the announcement that Tony Khan purchased ROH, there was excitement from the fans about endless possibilities for some of their favorite talent. Even with the development, there were still a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. ROH went through some of the hardest and most uncertain times, but this is seemingly a lifeline.

However, with the recent development with ROH and some uncertainty still, the direction reminds us of the shift that TNA went through to make themselves more appealing to various networks during a time when they were jumping from one network to another.

This strategy was a horrendous time for TNA and it could prove to be a fatal mistake for ROH as they look to restart a much-anticipated launch back onto a network full-time. This is particularly true when it comes to the main event scene and it brings back so many painful memories of the past.

How the current path of ROH is similar to what TNA did?

TNA had a partnership with NWA and had a unique talent that made the product special including A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, Monty Brown, and so many other stars. TNA had its own unique audience of wrestling fans and it was way ahead of the time when it came to smaller viewing numbers as compared to WWE, but grateful fans who remember the product.

After NWA parted ways from TNA, they introduced their own world title and Kurt Angle was the inaugural TNA world champion. Even though Angle came from another company, his success was not the tipping point that changed the identity of TNA forever.

It’s what came after names like Hulk Hogan, Mick Foley, Ric Flair, Booker T, Scott Steiner, and others on the roster. They were the main selling point for TNA and it got to a point that the previous identity of what made TNA special was fading away.

This didn’t play in harmony fully and led to more issues for TNA than solutions. The same thing can be said when it comes to ROH right now. They have primarily been in various matches on Dynamite or Rampage with no consistency for the stars.

The reason the champion is such a focus for the ROH title is because of the current state of the roster that was with ROH. Everyone has been spread out through various companies since ROH took that unprecedented hiatus. Whoever holds the title pretty much carries the banner and can be the sole selling point for the whole brand.

The ROH championship has already changed hands twice with no official network and with the current champion being Chris Jericho in the midst of a historic reign as champion, the clock is ticking or moves to be made. So far, it’s been exclusively on AEW programming with no official announcement of what’s next.

Ring of Honor went through some tough times creatively and it snowballed over the years with some fans staying loyal and other fans moving on. It has put the company in a tough position since it won’t exactly be the same as it was during the height of the glory days, but it will require a new direction.

It seems the selling point is allowing Jericho and other big names to give the rub and make ROH appealing to a network. While that strategy could give some desired results and finally give ROH a home, it still gives questions as to what’s next for the company.

The idea is to keep what made Ring of Honor special, but it’s clear it won’t be exactly like it was before this new direction from a business perspective may help, but it may not be a hit with some fans who have been loyal through thick and thin.

In short, there’s going to be some kind of friction for the path that has been chosen for Ring of Honor thus far. It’s an impossible situation that unfortunately has already pushed Ring of Honor to a similar situation as TNA already.

Even though TNA doesn’t exist, Impact Wrestling does, and fans will have to wait and see if there will be a revival in a similar fashion for ROH as 2022 comes to a close. It will certainly be high on the agenda to push ROH for more and it will be another incarnation in the company’s history.

There is no telling what’s next for ROH’s future, but hopefully, it will all pay off and will equal more moments to be added to the rich history of the company. Continue to tune in to AEW to see what the current Ring of Honor world champion Chris Jericho has in store.