SI

The Inside Story of Tony Khan Buying Ring of Honor

The influential promotion will run its first show Friday since being purchased by the AEW boss earlier this month.

Justin Barrasso

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath-the-surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

Friday’s Supercard of Honor show begins a new era for Ring of Honor

Tony Khan now has the chance to rewrite wrestling history.

That history dates back to when World Championship Wrestling was purchased by WWE in March 2001. The sale was announced on Nitro from Club La Vela in Panama City Beach, Fla., in a pretaped Vince McMahon segment. Nitro later ended in a simulcast with WWE’s Raw, in which McMahon proclaimed he had bought WCW, only until the story line swerve occurred, and it was Shane McMahon who swooped in and claimed ownership.

That concluded the dynamic Nitro era, closing the doors of WCW. It was also the go-home Raw before WrestleMania 17, adding even more intrigue to the show. With plenty of options to keep WCW viable, WWE ran its invasion angles and then moved on as the victors of that battle. Occasionally, WCW-branded pay-per-view names were championed, but it was never as though Raw would ever go on a two-week hiatus and be replaced by Nitro. That just wasn’t going to happen in WWE.

Ring of Honor formed in the void created after WWE purchased WCW and ECW. By no means was it anywhere nearly as commercially successful as WCW, but it developed a faithful audience and helped create the next generation of stars. And when the company, which was then owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, announced its intention Oct. 27 to release all performers from existing contracts and “reimagine” its future, a sale was inevitable. That night, while overseeing Dynamite at Boston University’s Agganis Arena, Khan watched a litany of former ROH stars wrestle on his show. That is when Khan vowed he would acquire ROH, which happened earlier this month. A mixture of guile and craft while negotiating allowed the deal to be finalized shortly before the March 2 edition of Dynamite, and Khan announced the deal live in the ring on the go-home Dynamite before AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view, also adding more intrigue to the show.

Unlike WWE’s purchase of WCW, Khan intends to keep the ROH brand alive as its own entity. In addition to learning from WWE’s missteps with their lack of creativity 20 years ago with WCW content, this was also a clinic in negotiating against the wire.

Speaking with sources close to the sale, there was legitimate concern that ROH would not sell to Khan in time for him to make his announcement on the March 2 Dynamite. ROH founder and former owner Cary Silkin confirmed as much during his appearance on Busted Open Radio. Multiple sources confirmed to Sports Illustrated that Khan, who had teased a “massive” announcement for the March 2 show, had a backup plan in case the ROH wasn’t finalized in time, one that he is still planning to share. Khan also had a different format ready, since it wouldn’t have made sense to open Dynamite with the ROH-centric bout pitting Bryan Danielson against Christopher Daniels. At some point, those will be fascinating stories for Khan to share.

Now, no story, especially in pro wrestling, would be complete without a heel. For AEW, the villain was played by WWE president and chief revenue officer Nick Khan (despite the same last name, there is no relation between the two). He represented WWE in its pursuit of purchasing ROH. Had WWE purchased ROH, its tape library would have eventually served as additional content for WWE’s streaming service on Peacock. Although Impact Wrestling also showed interest in ROH, the main two players were Khan from AEW and Khan from WWE.

An interesting development occurred at ROH’s Final Battle pay-per-view in December, when Tony Khan sent reinforcements from AEW, including Jay Lethal, who wrestled in the main event after Bandido tested positive for COVID-19. Khan also sent a number of videos from top AEW stars, while WWE did not contribute to the show. While the single biggest hurdle throughout the entire negotiation was the asking price, that gesture of goodwill certainly did not hurt, especially when it looked in December as though WWE appeared to be the favorite to buy ROH.

Ultimately, Tony Khan was the higher bidder, buying ROH for a price that multiple people have confirmed he thought was fair. That is a positive development for ROH fans. It is highly unlikely that WWE would have run a Final Battle card or a Death Before Dishonor special. Yet the brand will remain alive under Tony Khan.

Friday’s Supercard of Honor will mark the beginning of a new era for ROH. This is certainly a transitional show, as there will be a number of ROH talent booked who are not guaranteed to continue working with the brand. Khan does plan on airing ROH as its own brand, SI has learned, though details on how and when that will air are still being developed.

ROH’s Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman are scheduled to broadcast the show this Friday for Supercard of Honor, and there will be a lot of familiar faces throughout the night. Longtime ROH booker Delirious will be present, as well as dual reigning champions Jonathan Gresham and Bandido, tag team champs The Briscoe Brothers, and Pure champ Josh Woods. Jay Lethal is back in the ROH realm to wrestle Lee Moriarty, which initially seemed destined to happen last year in ROH. There are more tag titles to collect for FTR, who instantly add value to any belt, if they can beat the Briscoes. And in true ROH form, the show offers a breakthrough opportunity, especially for Willow Nightingale. An extremely talented wrestler, she has brought some outstanding moments to the indies, and can now do the same on an even bigger platform in her interim ROH women’s title match against Mercedes Martinez.

WCW was a much larger acquisition when WWE bought it, but the synergy between AEW and ROH is a partnership in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In one move, Khan acquired longevity. He now has a brand that dates back two decades, featuring footage that includes a number of AEW’s biggest stars—as well as some of WWE’s biggest stars.

Taking ownership of ROH is Khan’s chance to rewrite history, a journey that begins Friday at Supercard of Honor.

Psycho Clown ready to shine at tomorrow’s AAA show in Texas

Psycho Clown will headline Thursday’s AAA Invades WrestleCon show against Black Taurus in a match that will highlight two of the world’s most compelling luchadores.

The show will take place in Dallas at the Fairmont Hotel, only 20 miles away from the site of this year’s WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium.

“I have been preparing hard for this match,” Psycho Clown told SI through a translator. “I am facing one of the strongest wrestlers today. Taurus can do things no one else can. I am also returning with Lucha Libre AAA for an event in the United States on the most important weeks for wrestling in the USA in WrestleMania weekend, so this match is very important.”

The mask is not nearly as prevalent in the U.S. as it is in Mexico. For Psycho Clown, who is one of the most popular talents in AAA, the mask also represents a piece of his soul.

“The mask is a Mexican symbol, which represents our culture and the love to have a hidden identity,” says Psycho Clown, who never reveals his real name in interviews. “It connects with the mysticism that involves a sport blessed by God such as my blessed wrestling. I became Psycho Clown, looking to create my own story by showing a different character than what the public was used to [in] wrestling.

“When I wear my mask and climb into the ring, I feel that responsibility. I refuse to deliver anything but the maximum in each match. You will see that this weekend.”

In addition to Thursday’s match, Psycho Clown also has dates Friday with GCW and then Saturday with WrestleCon. And considering he is surrounded by the pageantry of WrestleMania, he also revealed which WWE stars he would like to wrestle.

“From the past era, it is Shawn Michaels,” Psycho Clown says. “Now, if I could wrestle anyone from WWE, I would like to face Roman Reigns.”

The mask reigns supreme in AAA. Even without AAA’s mega championship, Psycho Clown remains the promotion’s top star. Yet that doesn’t mean he isn’t interested in gold. Later this year, he thinks we will finally see a showdown against Vikingo for the belt.

“I would like to face Vikingo for the mega championship,” Psycho Clown says. “I have been looking for that title for some years. I have not been able to get it, but I know that very soon it will be on my waist.”

The (online) week in wrestling

  • MJF is a master of generating interest and excitement. 
  • Jimmy Traina’s interviews are always entertaining, and he had a really insightful session with Seth Rollins.
  • I like the goofy, pro-wrestling-esque videos, so I enjoyed Rollins meeting with Vince McMahon to get approval for his match at this year’s WrestleMania. And it certainly feels like Cody Rhodes would make the perfect opponent … 
  • The feature about Sasha Banks in The Athletic is worth reading. I still can’t understand why Banks, a genuine star and someone who is performing at the top of the industry, is only a part of a four-way tag match instead of a marquee, must-see title match. She would have added a whole new element to the Charlotte Flair–Ronda Rousey feud. 
  • Rousey is giving WWE the publicity it desires, which was evident by her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. But the crowd has spoken, and Rousey should be playing a heel—it’s worth wondering how WWE will respond if the crowd cheers for Flair in their match Saturday. The Bianca Belair–Becky Lynch feud has had a much better build heading into ’Mania. 
  • He makes a valid point. 
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  • Zack Sabre Jr. just won his second New Japan Cup, and he now has a title shot against IWGP world heavyweight champion Kazuchika Okada at Hyper Battle in Ryogoku on April 9.
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  • Pro Wrestling NOAH has a major main event coming in April, as Go Shiozaki has to go through Kazuyuki Fujita to reclaim the GHC heavyweight title. 
  • There are certain threads that are so much fun to read. This was one of them. 
  • Though Peacock is nowhere nearly as user-friendly as the standalone WWE Network was, the Steiner Brothers getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame is as great an excuse as any to watch some old-school WCW.

Big Time Wrestling teaming with The Hardy Boyz on upcoming tour

Big Time Wrestling has resumed touring on the independent wrestling circuit.

Steve Perkins, who is one of Big Time Wrestling’s owners, shared that The Hardy Boyz are the featured attraction and main event for three of their next four shows.

“The Hardys’ first match back together outside of WWE took place at a Big Time show a few weeks ago in Webster, Massachusetts,” says Perkins. “They bring an incredible amount of excitement to the indies. In addition to closing our shows in the main event, Matt and Jeff open them with a meet-and-greet. I have a hard time thinking of other stars who create the same type of excitement that they do.”

The next Big Time date for the Hardys is April 9 at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis., where they will wrestle The Ascension, followed by a date two weeks later at Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, Ill., against Carlito and Chris Masters. The Hardys will also be part of the card May 14 in Prince George, Va., against Joey Janela and Gangrel.

“Right now, we’re expanding in new markets around the country and we’ll even travel to California,” says Perkins. “We’ll also be handling all the bookings for Bret Hart. You’ll be able to see Bret on at least five or six different dates by the end of the summer, which is really special.

“There is nothing like a Bret signing. He loves the fans. He’s one of the truest performers, and his connections with the fans are incredible. He has so much time for everyone, and really appreciates every single fan.”

Big Time is also expanding its online streaming, and Perkins noted that big plans are in store for a proper finale to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express in 2023.

“Look for something big in the South this fall,” says Perkins. “And we’ll book the final Rock ‘n’ Roll Express match ever in January. I can’t say the opponent yet, but people are really going to like this match.”

Al Snow’s take on the Will Smith–Chris Rock Oscars incident

Al Snow on the microphone during an OVW event
Courtesy of @wrestlingphotog and OVW

If it seems as though the whole world is talking about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, you likely aren’t wrong.

The moment immediately went viral on social media, and there has been endless discussion about the physicality and harsh expletives from Smith, who was standing up for his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, after Rock’s G.I. Jane joke, and plenty more discussion about Rock’s ability to stay on track and continue hosting despite getting whacked in the face on live television.

The moment was so realistic that some have argued they planned it out.

And perhaps that is exactly what they did.

“If it is a work, then let’s give credit where it’s due,” says Al Snow, a staple of the wrestling industry for the past three decades, as well as one of its most creative minds. “If that is a work, Will Smith and Chris Rock are doing what we do in wrestling, except they’re doing it even better than us.”

So, was it a work or a shoot? While it seems highly unlikely that a risk like that would be taken on the grand stage of the Oscars, the question was on people’s minds after the incident occurred.

“It’s not the act that makes me question it,” Snow says. “I don’t question that. Now it is odd that we’ve all seen Will Smith as a public figure for years, and he never, ever loses his composure, no matter the circumstances—but still, I don’t question the action. The part that makes me think it’s a work is the reaction.”

The best way to discover the truth, Snow explained, is to seek out the reaction.

“A work is to make someone believe a lie, and the best way to make someone believe a lie is to tell just enough of the truth,” Snow says. “Will Smith and his wife have talked about their relationship, so his reaction, that’s believable. But there was no real reaction from the Academy for what had occurred, which is incredibly odd.”

Snow also found it peculiar that Smith—who later that evening won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role—walked up onstage, without interruption, and basically assaulted another person.

“I don’t work for the Academy, but I know TV,” Snow says. “When someone, no matter who it is, even a massive celebrity like Will Smith, comes onstage and slaps the host across the face, don’t you think someone would have come onstage? Or they’d immediately cut to commercial? Or cut off Chris Rock’s mike? How would you know he wasn’t going to react with some expletives?

“Now we’re all cynical in this world, and if you’ve been involved in wrestling for any length of time, you’re much more cynical than the average person. And I’m not saying I know it to be a work, even if Chris Rock did lean in for the shot, but live television operates under very, very strict rules. It reminded me of the infamous ‘Pipe Bomb’ on Raw a decade ago.”

Organic or manufactured (and by all accounts Smith’s actions were unplanned and genuine), the moment caused a genuine stir. And Snow is interested in seeing what happens next.

“I’d be surprised if they didn’t book Chris Rock to host again next year,” Snow says. “The Oscars are live television, and what the gimmick of live television used to be was anything could happen. Clearly, this shows that people desperately want to believe, and we should be doing more to harness that in pro wrestling.”

Snow runs the day-to-day operations of the well-respected Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion, which he shared is the world’s only state-accredited pro wrestling trade school. Once affiliated with WWE from 1998 to 2008, OVW is the site where the likes of John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton all cut their teeth in the industry. It is now the home to a collection of hungry, talented wrestlers all looking to leave their mark.

“I’m very proud of how hard everyone is working, and they’re developing,” Snow says. “Their willingness to listen and break from the norm is a testament to their commitment to create something different.”

OVW has a major card running this Thursday for free on FITE TV. Its Fight Night is headlined by the OVW national heavyweight championship match pitting reigning champ Mahabali Shera against Jessie Godderz. There is also a winner-take-all OVW heavyweight title and Kentucky heavyweight title bout between Ryan How and Omar Amir, a Street Fight featuring Tony Bizo against Luscious Lawrence, a tag title match pitting Dark Kloudz against The Bankroll and an old-school blindfold match between Amon and Crixus.

“These are going to be great matches,” Snow says. “And we’re telling stories that we want the audience to connect with emotionally and understand why it’s happening. I really hope people check it out.”

And as for the Smith-Rock incident at the Oscars, Snow applauded the manner in which they created a viral moment, regardless of whether it was real or planned.

“There is just enough truth in there to make you think it could be a work,” Snow says. “And that’s the beauty of it.”

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Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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Justin Barrasso
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