Ring Of Honor have resigned the man who opened their first show ever, Dan Maff. In his intial run with Ring Of Honor, he won the ROH Tag Team Championships twice alongside BJ Whitmer, before falling into obscurity in 2005. The powerhouse has proven he can still wrestle with the best of them at 46, and following an impressive performance aganist Pierre Carl Oulett at the Colt Cabana booked “ROH Unauthorized” last month, Maff was offered a contract with ROH which he quickly signed.
Why Did His Career Fade Away?
A falling out with trainer and fellow ROH talent Homicide lead to Maff entering a short lived retirement in 2005. Homicide issued some statements declaring he wouldn’t work for any company who would book Maff, essentially blackballing Maff as Homicide was a rising star at the time with more value than Maff. Homicide would continue to work for Ring Of Honor unitl 2007, notably ending Bryan Danielsons historic reign as ROH Champion before leaving to form L.A.X in Impact Wrestling alongside Hernandez.
Dan Maff would return to wrestling in 2008, working sparely for smaller companies like Jersey All Pro Wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling, & American Championship Entertainment. He especially found success in Jersey All Pro Wrestling being a four time winner of their top title.
Another Resurgence With Game Changer Wrestling
At GCW The Block Is Hot earlier this year, Dan Maff faced Chris Dickinson in an incredible contest, the first time Maff had really been noticed by the wrestling world again. It was compared to PCO vs. WALTER, a match from GCW which boosted PCO’s stock late into his career, leading to him being signed to ROH as well. Maff is now on a similar path.
Full Circle
With Dan Maff making his return to Ring Of Honor, his career has truly come full circle. Given the sparse nature of the ROH roster, any signing is big for them. He was a fixture of the company in their early days, and will make for a steady competitor as they enter uncertain times. Given his age, they might be skeptical to push him as a major star, but there is always a chance he gets a third reign as ROH Tag Team Champion. He is known for his brutal style, which was showed perfectly as he faced PCO at ROH Unauthorized in an Unsanctioned Match, and that divergence in style will help add more variety of ROH cards over the next two years.
Regardless of what sent him into exile in 2005, it is always nice to see someone get back into the limelight, and I’m keen to see what Maff really adds to the dwindling but talented Ring Of Honor roster.
