2020 was set to be a big year of Ring Of Honor, which was refreshing after a very weak 2019. They had some big shows planned like their anniversary show and a past vs. present show which many fans were excited about. Sadly, COVID-19 shut all of that down for a time, but they couldn’t lay dormant forever.
Due to this, they are getting back into action with a new set of tapings in Maryland promising to bring new content to their fans. They are keen on picking up right where they left off.
Ring Of Honor Starts Back With The Pure Title Tournament
Just before everything got shut down, ROH was going to bring back a championship from their past with a tournament throughout April. This was the Pure Title, which was merged into the ROH Championship by Bryan Danielson when he won a title vs. title match against Nigel McGunniness. That should tell you how long it’s been since this title was around, as McGuinness is retired from the ring and working as a commentator for WWE, while Danielson would become one of WWE’s biggest stars as Daniel Bryan.
This championship is built around a ruleset that forces technical wrestling, with limited rope breaks and other restrictions in place. We know seven of the men who will compete in this tournament, those being Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, Matt Sydal, David Finlay, ‘Hot Sauce’ Tracy Williams, Josh Woods, and Wheeler Yuta. Unfortunately, men like Yuji Nagata, Mark Haskins, and former Pure Champion Doug Williams will not make it due to travel restrictions.
Putting Safety Of Wrestlers First
It can be risky to run shows right now, as the pandemic conditions have yet to be lifted in most of the world. However, you just need to take the proper actions to ensure everything is safe. ROH Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff would say the following.
“Taking care of our people during this difficult time has been and still is our No. 1 priority. That’s why we have spent many weeks working alongside the Maryland State commission in gearing towards our return to producing wrestling action. The strictest of protocols, testing and measures will be in place to assure us of this directive.”
While there is a joke to be made about how easy it would be to social distance the average small ROH crowd, it is very nice to see another company get back to action. Are you excited for Ring Of Honor to return? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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