Tony Khan keeps trying to land a weekly television deal for Ring of Honor.
Ring of Honor and All Elite Wrestling owner Tony Khan held a media call this afternoon for this weekend’s Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view event. During the call, there were several questions regarding a potential weekly television deal for Ring of Honor. Khan answered those questions to the best of his ability as there is nothing locked in at the moment.
“So with Ring of Honor, we haven’t got the weekly TV going yet,” Tony Khan confirmed. “I say yet because it is something important to me, and I really think we will get a weekly Ring of Honor show, but I’m not gonna do it until the distribution deal makes sense and is right for everybody. And I think right now we have a certain number of key stars for Ring of Honor as well as performers that will be really important in the near term and also for the long term future some developmental stars for the future as well as some of the key stars to the history of Ring of Honor signed up.
“So I think right now, it’s not the biggest version of the roster, and I would expand it and add more people. And you know, because right now most of what you see with Ring of Honor is taking place either on these big pay-per-view events like we saw with Supercard of Honor and now Death Before Dishonor this weekend, and also wrestlers being involved in events. So the AEW, two companies that I’m the owner and CEO of and also with companies that we work with, like, for example, New Japan Pro Wrestling. So I think right now is not the biggest version of the Ring of Honor roster it would probably expand once the TV gets going if that makes sense.”
As for where Ring of Honor weekly television might end up, Tony Khan made a point to mention that he’s been talking to Warner Bros. Discovery about it and that Death Before Dishonor will be the first ROH pay-per-view on the Bleacher Report app that’s owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
“I have talked to Warner Bros. Discovery, and I’m continuing to talk to Warner Bros. Discoevry about it,” Tony Khan confirmed. “I have worked with them now to get Death Before Dishonor on Bleacher Report, where it will be available this weekend. I think that’s a really positive step. The first time Ring of Honor has worked with Warner Bros. Discovery. And I believe it’s going to be one of the biggest paid reviews and Ring of Honor’s history. So I spoke to them yesterday, and they’re really excited about this event, and it’s been good preordering. It’s a different pattern than AEW, but for Ring of Honor, this is going to turn out to be one of the strongest shows in their 20-year history of producing events.
“So I think it’s a great way to start the partnership with this event. Get Warner Bros. Discovery familiar with the Ring of Honor brand, which is happening. We’ve been in Atlanta this week. One of the home cities of Warner Bros. Discovery, a lot of the executives have come to the show and been around AEW, also around a lot of the great Ring of Honor stars. So I think there’s definitely appetite on both sides and interest. Like I said, we’re starting things out together with this first pay-per-view event with Warner Bros. Discovery working with Ring of Honor, and hopefully, I really, really would love to parlay that into weekly TV for Ring of Honor, which would be I think great for the wrestling fans. And obviously great for everybody working with Ring of Honor.”
Once Khan secures weekly television for Ring of Honor, whether it’s on television or streaming, he hopes that the primary focus of ROH will remain on their own programming but knows there are a lot of positives in the ongoing crossover with All Elite Wrestling.
“I would like there to be interaction. I think the two companies can work together,” Tony Khan said. “I believe both companies would benefit from that, AEW and Ring of Honor, but I would like a lot of the primary focus on Ring of Honor to be on Ring of Honor shows going forward, but there’s also a lot of positive things about having some of the people who are the champions in Ring of Honor being involved in AEW TV and vice versa. Having a lot of AEW stars competing in Ring of Honor, including for the championships, which is contributed to, I think, a lot of the interest in Ring of Honor, frankly, because right now, Ring of Honor has one of the strongest lineups of champions in pro wrestling.
“It includes some of the homegrown stars of Ring of Honor and also some of the top stars of AEW who’ve gone and competed there. So I think all of it blended together makes for a really interesting lineup and, in this case for Death Before Dishonor and makes for a really interesting lineup of matches this Saturday. I think AEW television could be involved in the promotion of Ring of Honor and cross-promoting Ring of Honor. Also, in some extent, in populating Ring of Honor in terms of competition going back and forth, and I think it can benefit both companies, but I would also love to have the primary focus on Ring of Honor week to week be on Ring of Honor’s own TV show that I’d like to get going in the future TV or streaming or wherever it ends up but definitely the right platform the right deal for everyone involved.”
READ MORE: Tony Khan Confirms The Briscoes Signed A Long-Term Exclusive Deal With ROH
What do you make of Tony Khan’s comments? Do you think a weekly television deal for Ring of Honor is happening in the not-too-distant future? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the Ring of Honor media call with a link back to this article for the transcription.
