Ring of Honor Wrestling (also known as ROH Honor Club TV,[1] and often shortened as ROH Wrestling TV, ROH TV,[2]ROH TV on HonorClub,[3] or ROH on HonorClub[4]) is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). The series features professional wrestlers competing in matches and conducting interviews.[5] Combined, these elements create and further the storylines of the promotion.
The pilot episode was taped on February 28, 2009, and the series premiered on March 21, 2009,[6] airing weekly on HDNet in the United States. The series' 100th and final HDNet episode aired on April 4, 2011.[7]
The series would return under the same title, airing on television stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group on September 24, 2011; such stations being affiliates of The CW and MyNetworkTV.[8][9]
Following the acquisition of Ring of Honor from Sinclair by All Elite Wrestling president and co-founder Tony Khan in March 2022,[10] the show eventually ceased broadcasting on Sinclair's stations; the final episode aired on April 15, 2022.[11][12] Khan later announced in December 2022 that weekly programming will be aired on the relaunched Honor Club streaming platform. The series returned on March 2, 2023.[13]
History
Original run (2009–2011)
Ring of Honor (ROH) first announced its partnership with HDNet in an article posted to its website on January 26, 2009. The article stated that HDNet would air a weekly ROH television series titled Ring of Honor Wrestling.[14] They subsequently announced their first television tapings would take place at The Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[5]Ring of Honor Wrestling began airing weekly on March 21, 2009, on HDNet.[6]
On July 1, 2009, it was reported that Ring of Honor had cancelled television tapings scheduled for July 17 and 18; it was reported to be a decision made by HDNet, and not Ring of Honor.[5] On July 27, 2009, ROH announced that the show would be moving to Monday nights beginning on August 17, with a repeat airing later that night. On February 11, 2010, it was announced that Ring of Honor Wrestling would be airing in Italy on Dahlia TV.[5]
On January 11, 2011, Ring of Honor announced the end of its television series, after the completion of the promotion's two–year contract with HDNet. The show's final tapings took place on January 21 and 22, with the final episode airing on April 4, 2011.[5][7][15]
Sinclair series (2011–2022)
On May 21, 2011, the Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that they had purchased ROH, with Cary Silkin remaining with the company in an executive role. Ring of Honor Wrestling began airing in September 2011 over Sinclair stations, mainly in weekend primetime on their CW and MyNetworkTV stations.[8]
On September 9, 2014, ROH announced that Ring of Honor Wrestling would begin being syndicated to stations in non-Sinclair markets, with Gannett Company-owned WATL in Atlanta becoming the first non-Sinclair station to air Ring of Honor Wrestling on September 13, 2014.[16]
On May 27, 2015, ROH announced a 26-week television deal with Destination America, beginning on June 3.[17] The program originally aired twice on Wednesdays; first at 8pm and then a replay at 11pm. However, after struggling to gain viewers, Ring of Honor Wrestling lost their primetime slot in late July and was reduced to a single airing at 11pm. The final episode on Destination America aired on November 25, 2015.[18]
On December 2, 2015, Ring of Honor Wrestling debuted on the Sinclair-owned Comet.[19]
Following Sinclair's purchase of the Fox Sports Networks (which were divested by The Walt Disney Company following its acquisition of key assets from 21st Century Fox), Ring of Honor Wrestling began airing on the newly acquired RSN's in November 2019. This brought ROH TV availability in several large markets where Sinclair lacked an over-the-air station.[23]
The show's final episode on Sinclair stations aired on the weekend of April 15, 2022.[24][25]
Honor Club series (2023–present)
In an interview with Busted Open following his purchase of the company, Tony Khan announced plans to relaunch the weekly series.[26] On December 10, 2022, after Final Battle, Khan announced that the program would relaunch on Honor Club, beginning in 2023.[27]
An episode typically features matches as well as interviews from the wrestlers regarding their upcoming matches or current storylines. The show typically ends after the main event (the final match on an episode) and goes to a closing graphic.[31]
Beginning in August 2019, the show's format was changed to feature highlights of recent events, with Ian Riccaboni and Quinn McKay hosting from backstage. The show featured one full-length main event match, with the color commentary during the matches themselves varying as Riccaboni is paired with a variety of partners. It was speculated that this revamp was done in order to drive growth for Honor Club, where the promotion had begun to stream its television tapings live.[32][33]
Upon Ring of Honor's return to promoting events following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic hiatus, the series format was revamped beginning on the September 12, 2020 episode.[34][35][36]
During the promotion's hiatus after Final Battle in December 2021, the show was revamped to focus on archival footage, "Best of" specials, and highlights from recent events.[37]
Filming locations
All but six episodes of the HDNet run were taped at The Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[6] The Arena is frequently used as a professional wrestling venue, and is known prominently for formerly hosting many Extreme Championship Wrestling events.
ROH held television tapings at the Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky on December 9 and 10 in 2010.[5]
The wrestlers featured on Ring of Honor Wrestling take part in scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers are portrayed as either villains or heroes in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match.
September 24, 2011 (2011-09-24) – November 24, 2012 (2012-11-24) August 3, 2013 (2013-08-03) – November 2, 2013 (2013-11-02) December 21, 2013 (2013-12-21) August 2, 2014 (2014-08-02) – August 16, 2014 (2014-08-16) October 11, 2014 (2014-10-11) October 25, 2014 (2014-10-25) August 15, 2015 (2015-08-15) October 31, 2015 (2015-10-31) November 11, 2015 (2015-11-11) – January 9, 2016 (2016-01-09) February 6, 2016 (2016-02-06) – February 20, 2016 (2016-02-20) May 28, 2016 (2016-05-28) – September 12, 2016 (2016-09-12) December 3, 2016 (2016-12-03) December 17, 2016 (2016-12-17) January 7, 2017 (2017-01-07) – January 21, 2017 (2017-01-21)
Kevin Kelly and Caleb Seltzer
December 1, 2012 (2012-12-01) – April 6, 2013 (2013-04-06)
Kevin Kelly and Various Guest Commentators
April 13, 2013 (2013-04-13) – May 11, 2013 (2013-05-11) January 28, 2017 (2017-01-28) – February 18, 2017 (2017-02-18)
May 18, 2013 (2013-05-18) – July 27, 2013 (2013-07-27) November 9, 2013 (2013-11-09) – October 4, 2014 (2014-10-04) November 15, 2014 (2014-11-15) – October 24, 2015 (2015-10-24) September 19, 2016 (2016-09-19) – November 26, 2016 (2016-11-26)
August 19, 2017 (2017-08-19) September 16, 2017 (2017-09-16) – September 30, 2017 (2017-09-30) April 28, 2018 (2018-04-28) May 12, 2018 (2018-05-12) October 6, 2018 (2018-10-06)
May 5, 2018 (2018-05-05) May 19, 2018 (2018-05-19) September 15, 2018 (2018-09-15) October 20, 2018 (2018-10-20) – November 10, 2018 (2018-11-10) July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26) September 14, 2020 (2020-09-14) – April 15, 2022 March 2, 2023 (2023-03-02) – April 20, 2023 (2023-04-20) June 22, 2023 (2023-06-22) – present
Ian Riccaboni, B. J. Whitmer, and Caprice Coleman
September 1, 2018 (2018-09-01) – September 8, 2018 (2018-09-08) October 13, 2018 (2018-10-13)
Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, and Marty Scurll
December 1, 2018 (2018-12-01)
Ian Riccaboni, Colt Cabana, and Caprice Coleman
December 8, 2018 (2018-12-08) January 12, 2019 (2019-01-12) February 16, 2019 (2019-02-16) July 19, 2018 (2018-07-19)
Ian Riccaboni
December 22, 2018 (2018-12-22) – December 29, 2018 (2018-12-29) December 21, 2019 (2019-12-21) – December 28, 2019 (2019-12-28)
Ian Riccaboni and Quinn McKay
August 2, 2019 (2019-08-02) – February 14, 2020 (2020-02-14)
Quinn McKay
February 21, 2020 (2020-02-21) – March 20, 2020 (2020-03-20)
Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, and Nigel McGuinness
April 27, 2023 (2023-04-27) – June 15, 2023 (2023-06-15)
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