Three Things to Look Forward to with Ring of Honor in 2023

While we are a month and a half into 2023, Ring of Honor’s new year begins next weekend with their first set of television tapings since Tony Khan bought the company last March.  After three successful pay-per-views in 2022, the time is now for ROH to make its presence known in the wrestling world.

I’ll be looking forward to three things with Ring of Honor in 2023.  Each has its own positive side that will help make ROH a viable wrestling product to watch.  So here are three things to look forward to in 2023 with ROH.

The weekly television show

One of the biggest complaints I had always heard about the weekly television show was how long until an episode aired.  It would be at best over a month and a half before an episode would air after it was recorded.

With the beginning of the new set of television tapings, I don’t see this being much of a problem with Ring of Honor.  While they don’t have the luxury of being on television like they were when they were owned by the Sinclair Broadcasting Group, each episode will be shown on Honor Club.  Plus, instead of having to try and find when each episode will air, it’s all in one location.

Another positive to these new tapings will be that it has a home, at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.  The same place where AEW Dark has some of their tapings.  So, for the wrestlers and the fans who watch AEW Dark on occasion, the setting will be very familiar.

Claudio Castagnoli as world champion

After winning the ROH World Championship from Chris Jericho at Final Battle, Claudio Castagnoli should be slated for a strong run as champion. While he hasn’t defended the title much since winning it, Castagnoli will be the focal point of the company, getting the opportunity to showcase his skills like many have asked to see.

Castagnoli hasn’t received the opportunity to carry a company as a main champion. His first reign as ROH World Champion lasted only two months and he never got to really show fans what he can do. Now, this is his time to shine.

He can wrestle just about any style that you want him to.  From his power to his technical ability to even getting down and dirty in the ring, Castagnoli can do it all.  It will be very fun to see what Castagnoli can do as a top champion.

Which free agents and AEW stars will show up in Ring of Honor

One of, if not the biggest complaint that fans have with AEW is the number of wrestlers that are under contract and on the main roster.  Now, with a brand-new weekly television show, this is a tremendous chance to see wrestlers who we normally don’t get to see on Dynamite and Rampage every week be able to capture the fans’ attention.

There are wrestlers who wrestle on Dark and Dark Elevation on most occasions and can find a way to make their case that they belong in the discussion among the best wrestlers in the world.  These wrestlers can gather new fans into ROH and grab their attention to watch the program every week.

We can see wrestlers from the Dark Order, the Factory, the Trustbusters, and the Firm among others on ROH television more often than they would on AEW television.  This is also a great chance for women’s wrestlers to become stars.

Wrestlers like Abadon, Emi Sakura, Leva Bates, and once she’s healthy Leyla Hirsch could become stars in the women’s division in ROH.  The potential is there for everybody on the AEW roster to become stars in ROH.

With the new year beginning for ROH very soon, there’s a lot to be excited about.  You have one of the best commentating teams in wrestling with Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman calling the action, familiar faces competing every week, and brand-new matches that can be seen.

As a long-time ROH fan, I’m excited and ready to see what 2023 delivers for ROH.  The three things I mentioned will be key to the success of ROH this year and if things go right, we could be in for another fantastic year in ROH.