Ring of Honor Wrestling - The Biggest Stars of Tomorrow Currently in ROH
The two premiere champions in the two biggest American wrestling/sports entertainment companies today are WWE Champion CM Punk and TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries. Sorry Sheamus, nobody really cares about you or your Triple H-influenced World Heavyweight Championship reign. Punk and Aries both have a lot in common. Management labeled both men “too small to be main event talent” at times in their careers. Both men have overcome hatred from management to earn respect and favor from those same management figures. Both men have loyal fan bases, especially fan bases based in the Internet Wrestling Community. Both can argue for the label “Best in the World.” In addition, both men’s careers really took off during their time in Ring of Honor Wrestling.
While it is debatable about whether World Wrestling Entertainment or TNA Wrestling is the premiere wrestling company in America based on what you measure success by (on-screen product or TV ratings), I think it is safe to say that Ring of Honor Wrestling offers the best in-ring product in the country today. However, because of their small company, limited finances, and minute exposure through a small syndicated TV deal, Ring of Honor Wrestling will never achieve the same recognition as WWE or TNA. While Ring of Honor does not get the respect it deserves, their talent sure does.
In looking at both WWE and TNA, both rosters feature Ring of Honor alumni among the elite talent of their respective rosters. Besides WWE Champion CM Punk, WWE boasts Ring of Honor alumni Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) among their main event stars. Main roster members Evan Bourne (Matt Sydal), Antonio Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli), and Beth Phoenix all have Ring of Honor ties while WWE developmental plays host to Seth Rollins (former ROH World Champion Tyler Black), Kassius Ohno (Chris Hero), and Corey Graves (Sterling James Keenan). Rumors flourish that another Ring of Honor star, Sara Del Rey, is on her way to WWE developmental hell any time now. Alongside TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries, the TNA roster includes former ROH World Champion Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Abyss, Douglas Williams, Kenny King, Chris Sabin, Joey Ryan, and Mickie James (Alexis Laree). All have spent considerable time in Ring of Honor while Jeff Hardy, Gunner (Phil Splatter), Hernandez, Madison Rayne (Ashley Lane), and Sarita (Sarah Stock) enjoyed brief appearances in ROH.
Despite many fans of professional wrestling refusing to give Ring of Honor the respect it deserves, they enjoy many of the talents that have came through the doors of the best little company in the business today. I feel that this trend will continue. Just last month, Kenny King jumped to TNA despite being one-half of the ROH World Tag Team Championships as the opportunity for bigger exposure called to King. While few stay in Ring of Honor for the majority of their career, it is safe to say the best in the business have a stop in Ring of Honor at some point on their resume.
The following are five men who I believe have big things in their future. While at various levels in their Ring of Honor careers now, I believe all will be major players within TNA Wrestling or wasting away in World Wrestling Entertainment five years from now. They have the “IT” factors that spell success outside of the Ring of Honor ring. These men are the future of professional wrestling.
“The Prodigy” Mike Bennett - It amazes me that WWE does not already have Bennett under contract. Mike Bennett is one of those guys who appear to have been created in a lab under specific orders from Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Standing over six-foot tall and 220 pounds of chiseled muscle with movie star good looks, Bennett has the image of a WWE Superstar. His former WWE Diva girlfriend Maria Kanellis does not hurt the image either. One important thing though about Bennett is that image is not everything with this man. Bennett has shown repeatedly that he can go in the ring with the best. His trilogy with the legendary Lance Storm this year helped solidify Bennett as a major talent while outstanding efforts against Jay Lethal and Eddie Edwards have helped “The Prodigy” rise the ranks in ROH. Bennett still has a lot of room to grow as an in-ring performer but I believe he has unlimited potential.
Adam Cole - Good-looking, high-flying, and tremendously athletic, 23-year old Adam Cole already has four years of in-ring experience under his belt. Cole debuted in Ring of Honor in 2010. For the last year, Cole has emerged as one of the premiere young athletes in the company. Cole scored a pinfall victory in a tag match over then ROH World Champion Davey Richards at the 10th Anniversary Show in March. His feud with former Future Shock tag team partner Kyle O’Reilly led to a bloody and brutal match at Best in the World 2012 on June 24th that made both men stars in ROH. Currently the ROH TV Champion after defeating Roderick Strong, Cole’s stock continues to soar in 2012. I believe that, barring an injury, Cole will be a top face in ROH for a long time to come. Outside of ROH, I can see Cole becoming a fixture of the X-Division if TNA signed him.
“Die Hard” Eddie Edwards - Edwards is a 10-year veteran who debuted in Ring of Honor in December 2006 against the man currently holding the TNA World heavyweight Championship, Austin Aries. In his ROH career, Edwards has done it all. After a highly successful partnership with Davey Richards as The American Wolves, Edwards has branched out on his own with one of the most successful careers in ROH history. Edwards won the inaugural TV Championship in 2010 and was the first man to win ROH’s Triple Crown (World, TV, and Tag Team titles). Blending a hard-hitting strong style with punishing submission moves along with a high-flying aerial arsenal, Eddie Edwards is one of the best complete in-ring workers in professional wrestling today. I watch Edwards and see a young Chris Benoit in action. If Edwards has any faults that would hurt his chances in WWE, it is his size as he is only around six feet tall. That is a WWE problem. Edwards is too talented of a worker to have something like height stop him from succeeding in a major promotion. Edwards would fit in perfectly in TNA, both in the X-Division and main event picture. I believe wholeheartedly that “Die Hard” could be a World Champion in TNA Wrestling.
“Unbreakable” Michael Elgin - After brief appearances in 2007 and 2008, Michael Elgin debuted full-time with Ring of Honor in late 2010. As the muscle in Truth Martini’s House of Truth faction, Elgin quietly developed into one of the top young stars in the business behind the charismatic leadership of Martini and the top star Roderick Strong. In the last eight months, the powerhouse from Toronto has emerged as one of the breakout stars of Ring of Honor with big wins at the 2011 Survival of the Fittest tournament and a Match of the Year candidate at Day Two of Showdown in the Sun against then-ROH World Champion Davey Richards. When I look at Elgin, I immediately think of fellow House of Truth member Rhino. Elgin, like Rhino, is powerful and built like a brick house. If Elgin has any drawback, it is his height. However, I could see Elgin succeeding in TNA easily as his strength and aggressive nature would fit in nicely. If WWE management could see past the height issue, Elgin would fit in nicely with Vince McMahon’s fascination with powerful men.
Roderick Strong - When I look at Roderick Strong, I see Austin Aries. While both men have differences in appearance and in-ring style, Strong and Aries both have a mutual career path thus far. Strong, like Aries, already was a part of the TNA roster in the mid 2000s. While Aries achieved a minimal amount of success during his first run with TNA, Strong achieved no success at all. It is in Ring of Honor where the "Messiah of the Backbreaker" developed his brutal in-ring style and cocky persona destined for bigger things. Strong joined ROH in 2003 and quickly found success. Strong is the second man to ever win the ROH Triple Crown (World, TV, and Tag Team titles) while rivalries with Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, and Bryan Danielson have defined one of the most prolific careers in ROH History. I believe that Strong would fit into TNA Wrestling wonderfully, as both an X-Division competitor and a main event player. While Strong’s weakest trait is his microphone skills (something that would kill him in the WWE), TNA would overlook this in favor of his undeniable charisma and in-ring ability second to none. I personally believe that Roderick Strong is a World Champion waiting to happen.
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