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ROH TV reaches 100 episode milestone

BBG News

On Thursday, ROH aired its 100th episode under Tony Khan’s leadership. To mark the occasion, they scheduled one title defense match. Before the broadcast began, three matches were already announced, with four “in action” graphics hinting at more. This was an early indication that the big milestone would not be marked with much fanfare.

In the initial bout, Komander defended his TV championship against QT Marshall. During episode 99, Marshall managed to compete for 10 minutes in a Proving Ground match, thereby earning the right to challenge for the title. After Komander successfully retained his title, Lee Johnson signaled his desire for a title by making a universal gesture. Towards the end of the broadcast, it was revealed that Johnson would battle the champ in a Proving Ground match the following week.

In the primary bout, Shane Taylor squared off against Katsyouri Shibata. A week ago on “Collision”, Shane Taylor Promotion clashed with Undisputed Kingdom. Following the contest, STP launched an assault on their adversaries. TNT Champion Daniel Garcia and Shibata stepped in to prevent further chaos. Apparently, a memo was sent to both Taylor and Shibata about this being the 100th episode, prompting them to deliver a pay-per-view caliber match. In the end, Shibata emerged victorious, which sparked Taylor’s group to attack a legend. Undisputed Kingdom and Garcia intervened once again to stop the violence.

In a compelling women’s bout, Taya Valkyrie squared off against Lady Frost. Notably, Frost is a long-time member of ROH during the “TK Era,” whereas Valkyrie has spent considerable time there as well. It was gratifying to witness their showcase. Other than that, the event was packed with brief matches and a classic tag match between the recently retired Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal, along with Shingo Takagi and CIMA. The contest was engaging, however, it consumed over 20 minutes of the broadcast. For some time now, ROH has been featuring classic matches. While it offers viewers an understanding of their library’s match types, it often serves as filler for the show.

Previously noted, Komander was the lone competitor in the event. The program began with ex-ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe acknowledging ROH achieving 100 episodes. Current and longest-reigning Women’s Champion ATHENA, along with Chris Jericho (the World Champion), made an appearance via video call. Regrettably, the Women’s TV Champion, as well as the tag team champions (which includes Dustin Rhodes, a member of the Trios Champions), were absent. Accompanying Shane Taylor to the ring was the Pure Champion, Lee Moriarty.

To be fair, adverse weather conditions preceded both “Collision” and “Dynamite”, which might explain why other champions couldn’t attend or didn’t have a chance to record anything. In essence, it seemed like an ordinary episode. On the other hand, the early episodes during the “TK Era” were lively and action-packed. When they filmed several episodes in Orlando, the show appeared more streamlined, offering engaging matches and advancing plotlines.

As Road Hustle Outlaws (ROH) hit the road, it seemed like their brand took a back seat in Tony Khan’s priorities. With his hands full managing AEW, negotiating new TV and streaming deals, overseeing the Jacksonville Jaguars, and running Fulham FC, it’s no wonder that one successful wrestling promotion was more than enough for him to handle.

Khan has a busy schedule and sometimes Ring of Honor (ROH) takes a back seat. However, as the pay-per-view approaches, activities tend to ramp up for about two weeks. During this period, they put on fantastic shows, only to return to feeling overlooked afterwards.

In episode 100, I felt they could have done better by acknowledging ATHENA’s historic 500-day reign as champion. Instead, it took several weeks for her to receive a championship celebration after setting this record. Given the excellent show in episode 99 that had raised my hopes, I was more hopeful than I should have been about this episode.

Despite finding Ring of Honor (ROH) a bit laborious at times, I remain fond of it. Maybe my expectations are high because I’ve been following it since the start of the current era, and have watched all 100 episodes. I’ve seen its peaks and troughs – the good, the bad, and the challenging aspects. I truly hope that ROH secures a TV deal, but to continue for another 200 episodes or more as Briscoe suggested, it needs a revamp. There were aspects that didn’t work initially, but the enthusiasm and fervor were undeniably there. If Ring of Honor is to endure for another 100 episodes and beyond, something needs to shift.

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2025-01-25 17:45

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