What Will ROH’s Legacy Be?

In the two weeks since my last column here, there’s been much food for thought in the pro wrestling world. From the rousing success of this year’s King of Trios tournament, to the conclusion of the “Unauthorized ECW Documentary” Kickstarter, and of course; another iPPV mishap for Ring of Honor. And with that comes the inevitable fan backlash, and the company’s own goofy attempts at damage control. But I’m not going to talk specifically about that, as there’s a wealth of other opinion pieces out there, even on this very site, which I feel have said all that needs to be said on this particular matter.

Instead, I just want to talk about… well, Ring of Honor. Past, present, and perhaps most importantly; future. The aforementioned ECW documentary, which looks like a must-watch, really got me thinking about how a unique wrestling promotion, with a niche following, can be hugely polarizing and leave a legacy that is still debated to this day. The doc, which prides itself on objectivity, unlike WWE’s romanticised but admittedly great “Rise and Fall of ECW”, looks to really tackle the ups and downs of the promotion. Positives, negatives, ups and downs, and everything else that makes up ECW’s legacy. With that in mind, and with ROH’s current state also a hot topic, I found myself asking what people will remember about Ring of Honor in 20 years time?

For the record, this isn’t a prediction of impending death for the company. I’m not writing this because I think the iPPV issue will be the death of them, and I want a head start writing their obituary. Not at all. But given that the company has been in existence for over a decade, and at one time had genuine buzz as a must-see product for wrestling fans, I am just curious if the good times outweigh the bad when it comes to reflecting on what ROH has done.

While I haven’t followed the company from its inception, it feels like there is more dissatisfaction with ROH right now than ever before, and it doesn’t just end with technical blunders. More than the underwhelming conclusion of Gabe Sapolsky’s time with the company, his eventual departure and new creative directions for the promotion, it feels like the ‘Sinclair Era’ has alienated die-hard ROH supporters more than any previous development in company history. Whether it’s the technical problems, the “old school” mentality behind some of the angles, or the choice of who to push and when, ROH just can’t seem to get it right in the eyes of many fans.

But of course this wasn’t always the way. Much like ECW, ROH’s successes in the wrestling industry can’t be measured in dollars and cents, but rather in the ways their choices would greatly influence the wrestling business as a whole. While much has been made of the ascent of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Austin Aries already, it really can’t be overstated how pivotal their breakout years on the indies were to getting them noticed, with ROH really being the catalyst for that “breakout.”

Before I even began following ROH regularly, at a time when my interest in wrestling was really waning around six or seven years ago, ROH was already a name I was somewhat familiar with, as they achieved genuine cult status thanks to smart and engaging storylines, and a talent roster that boasted some of the most unique and well rounded future-stars in wrestling. This wasn’t just one of two dozen independent promotions a guy like Bryan Danielson would work for before getting signed; this was the promotion that actually had people talking, and if you had never seen an indie show before in your life; this would be the best place to start. When I decided I wanted to get into indie wrestling, it was the almost universal praise of ROH that got me started. It was eye-opening to buy the old “Best of CM Punk Vol. 1” DVD from ROH, and a few standalone shows to boot, and see just how unique and engaging their product was. It wasn’t just guys in the minor leagues doing spots, it felt like this promotion had exactly what I wanted from wrestling, and suddenly I was one of many people hoping for big things for the company, and its stars.

There are probably countless people reading this who can relate, and almost certainly expand on what I’ve said here, as they followed ROH through its creative boom as it happened. In retrospect, one of my biggest regrets is not getting into the promotion sooner and being a part of one of the most acclaimed periods any promotion has had in years. They had the stars of the future, in angles that gripped you, and moments that are now almost burned into the subconscious of the hardcore wrestling fans.

So to get back to the question; what is ROH’s legacy? To me, as of right now, it feels like a story of missed potential. Again, I don’t want to act like the ship has already sailed, but it feels like they’ve gone from a hot commodity that welcomed the cynical fans, to a promotion with no unique selling point. A promotion that is simply doing pro wrestling, rather than doing anything special with pro wrestling. And that’s what I feel like they used to be. Right now I don’t feel like the promotion has a positive or negative legacy, but rather a muddled one of potential, and failure to meet that potential as the years went by.  The growth of the company, from flirtations with PPV, the HDNet deal, and now the Sinclair TV deal, coincides with a creative downturn and a sever raiding of its talent roster.

It’s not all doom and gloom. ROH has a television deal, they have iPPV (kinda), they have DVD distribution, and they are still the biggest name in independent wrestling. There is more than enough potential for them to have a renaissance and reengage with jaded fans. They could be around ten years from now, after a decade of phenomenal TV, and this could simply be a period we remember as one of growing pains. Only time will tell. Until then, we can only reflect on what has certainly been a noteworthy ten years for them.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for all your feedback on my last few columns, it was great to hear from the PWP readers on the last few subjects. On that note, as usual you can weigh in on this topic by leaving a comment on this post, or tweeting at me (@BarryLadTweets) with your thoughts on ROH, and it’s ups and downs. Also check back every other Thursday for a new post about whatever is on my mind in the world of indie wrestling!