KEY POINTS

  • AEW founder and CEO Tony Khan announced that he had purchased Ring of Honor
  • ROH became a legend in pro wrestling after launching the careers of many of the industry's biggest stars today
  • AEW's access to the entire tape library of ROH could set up a streaming service in the near future

WWE’s main competitor in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) just scored a massive win after announcing its purchase of iconic pro wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH).

AEW founder and CEO Tony Khan revealed the news to kick off tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite, much to the delight of the crowd live in attendance and pro wrestling fans on social media.

An official press release regarding ROH’s acquisition was released by Khan himself via Twitter.

“Ring of Honor’s influence on modern professional wrestling is etched permanently in the history books, and this acquisition ensures that its legacy will be kept alive and treated with the utmost respect. This deal adds thousands of hours of content to our rapidly growing library and creates new opportunities to expand our footprint on a national and global scale, while having the potential to produce new content under the ROH banner,” said Khan.

Most of the top stars in AEW kickstarted their careers with ROH, with performers such as but not limited to:

  • CM Punk
  • Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan during his WWE run)
  • Dr. Britt Baker
  • Adam “Hangman” Page
  • Kenny Omega
  • The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
  • Adam Cole
  • Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose during his WWE run)
  • Keith Lee
  • Orange Cassidy

The most important piece of asset that Khan acquired is that of the entire ROH library, which could set up a streaming service for AEW that they could profit from in the long term.

Similar to how WWE purchased longtime rival WCW back in the 90s and ECW in the early 2000s, AEW is setting itself up to be more than just an alternative for performers who decide to jump ship from the Stamford, Connecticut-based promotion.

ROH is an almost mythical name in the pro wrestling industry since it began back in 2002, and AEW has an opportunity to push WWE into a corner in terms of pure in-ring entertainment.

Many would argue that AEW has already beat WWE in that regard, but the fact remains that the Vince McMahon-helmed organization is still a massive titan in the industry despite its many shortcomings in recent years.

With deals to have the occasional crossover between Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, AEW has a golden opportunity on its hands and Khan knows it better than anyone else.

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