The ROH World Title holds a very special place in the wrestling industry. The ROH belt isn’t about who plays politics or who is friends with the writers or who looks good under fancy pyrotechnics. The ROH World Title signifies the best the sport of pro wrestling has to offer. We can back that statement up.
Since Samoa Joe made the ROH strap into a World Title on May 17th, 2003, there have been eight individuals that have held the belt. Each forged their own legacy with the ROH World Title. Now they have risen to the top throughout the entire wrestling world. Need proof?
Current ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness has come into his own as a superstar with two match of the year candidates on pay-per-view and great title defenses against all comers on ROH DVDs this year. At this rate he will be at the top of every wrestler of the year poll at the end of the year. It is time for everyone to start buzzing about what McGuinness has done as ROH World Champion.
Former 15 month ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson is the most sought after wrestler in the world. In the past month he has wrestled for ROH, WWE, AAA and NOAH. He has worked for the top companies in the United States, Japan and Mexico. He has also wrestled in England and Germany. Again, he has done all of this in the last month alone. Can anyone in the last 20 years claim this accomplishment?
Former six month ROH World Champion Austin Aries is simply the ace of ROH. His team with Roderick Strong made the ROH Tag Titles into World Tag Team Titles and raised its prestige to the highest in the sport. He has carried ROH on his back. He is currently in the middle of wrestling’s most intense, emotional and intricate feud against Jimmy Jacobs and The Age Of The Fall.
Former eight month ROH World Champion Takeshi Morishima is now the GHC Heavyweight Champion in NOAH. This is considered by many to be the most prestigious title in Japan.
Former 21 month ROH World Champion Samoa Joe is the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
CM Punk, who owns arguably ROH’s most controversial World Title reign, is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion after setting the wrestling world on fire with his surprising title win last Monday on Raw.
Homicide, who held the ROH World Title briefly after an incredible win, is now one half of the TNA Tag Team Champions.
We have heard it from the critics over the years when it comes to ROH talent. In 2004 when Samoa Joe and CM Punk were battling to one hour classics for the ROH World Title the journalists looked for any holes they could find. They said that they were too small, they didn’t have the bodies, this would be their career highlights, they weren’t cut out to make it anywhere else. The negatives went on and on. Well, now it is time to face it and you can’t deny it.
The fact is that the best talent is in ROH. The fact is that this talent cut free and allowed to perform their art with no restrictions or politics. The fact is that only the elite rise to the top of ROH.
The ROH World Title signifies the best pro wrestling has to offer. You can’t deny the place of the ROH World Title and what it means to the entire industry now. It is time to take notice and get ahead of the curve with Ring Of Honor.