AEW and ROH are now officially sister companies after Tony Khan announced the purchase of the promotion back in March. The company has since held the first pay-per-view of their new era, Supercard of Honor, last week to critical acclaim.
The show not only featured ROH stalwarts such as Jonathan Gresham, Bandido and Briscoe Brothers, but they also highlighted a number of AEW talents, including Brian Cage, Mercedes Martinez and Jay Lethal, to name a few. The biggest surprise was, of course, the second debut of Samoa Joe, whose presence will be felt on both brands going forward.
Fans are now salivating at the prospect of a series of AEW vs. ROH dream matches that could potentially take place. If promoted correctly, it would be a great way to promote the talent on both rosters. Here are five dream matches that we'd like to see.
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#5. ROH Women's Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs former AEW Women's Champion Britt Baker
Deonna Purrazzo is currently the ROH Women's World Champion in her first reign. She was also previously the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Champion and reigned for nearly a year before dropping the belt to Mickie James. The Virtuosa has won gold in nearly every promotion she's been in. It looks like Ring of Honor is where she plans to make her mark next.
As for potential opponents from other promotions, Purrazzo has named former AEW Women's Champion Britt Baker as her dream match-up over WWE's Charlotte Flair. In an interview with Jose G. of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Purrazzo said:
"Britt Baker. She's my best friend. How can I say no? [laughs] Honestly, I think Charlotte is absolutely incredible and that would be a dream come true as well (...) Britt and I have so much history. We have traveled together, flown together, we have shared hotel room beds together. She is my absolute best friend so it would be really, really cool to share the ring with her.''
While Baker is no longer the champion after dropping her title to Thunder Rosa, she still remains extremely over with the audience. Some fans would argue that she is still the female face of the promotion. A contest between the two wrestlers promises to be a technical, showstealing showcase for women's wrestling.
#4. Flip Gordon vs Sammy Guevara
Flip Gordon was a popular member of the Ring of Honor roster before the company went on hiatus and even signed a multi-year extension in 2020. However, he did not appear at their return event and it's unclear if there are plans for Tony Khan to use him going forward.
Gordon was a regular on BTE until the end of 2018 when All Elite Wrestling started. He even made an appearance on a recent edition of Being The Elite where he participated in a recurring bit from his days on the show with The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, John Silver and Alex Reynolds.
While it's clear that he's still close with members of The Elite, the match we'd really like to see the high-flyer take part in is with former TNT champion Sammy Guevara. Both athletes are fearless and freakishly agile in the ring and employ innovative and acrobatic offenses. It will be a banger of a match that brings together two exciting young stars.
#3. Rey Fenix vs Bandido
Bandido is one of the most accomplished luchadors in wrestling today that has not appeared in any of the two major companies. He made a name for himself in Mexico before making his way to Japan and United States.
Despite only being in his mid 20s, he has become one of the top independent stars in wrestling, winning the PWG World Championship as well as the ROH World Championship recently.
Rey Fenix is, of course, one of the best luchadors from the AEW roster. He was one half of the AEW World Tag Team Champions, Pentagon Jr. and has been a part of some of the greatest singles and tag team encounters in the company's history. While he is currently out injured, Fenix will be an integral part of the company once he returns.
Bandido and Rey Fenix faced each other at PWG before and even teamed up in the main event of "All In," the genesis of AEW and a show that was supported by ROH, so their history is also rich within both companies, adding more layers to a potential dream clash. Bandido incorporates the Lucha libre style with underrated strength, while Fenix is a human highlight reel. That blend will have the fans on their feet.
#2. AEW Champion Hangman Page vs ROH Champion Jonathan Gresham
Jonathan Gresham is now the unified ROH World Champion after defeating Bandido at Supercard of Honor. According to Fightful Select, several sources have indicated that the working plan is for Jonathan Gresham to wrestle both on ROH and AEW. Widely considered one of the greatest mat technicians in professional wrestling today, Gresham’s offense is a sight to behold. He is a great representative to lead the company in the Tony Khan era.
Hangman Page is the reigning AEW World Champion, having defeated Kenny Omega at Full Gear 2021. He has taken on all comers, besting the likes of Bryan Danielson, Lance Archer and Adam Cole. He is one of the most popular babyfaces in the promotion and is considered a homegrown talent.
Both wrestlers are the faces of their respective companies. A battle between the two world champions would make for an intriguing affair. Their styles are slightly different, with Gresham better known as a grappler while Hangman employs both technical and high-flying offense. Regardless of the victor, the true winner will be wrestling fans.
#1. Briscoe Brothers vs Blackpool Combat Club
The Briscoe Brothers were the ROH Tag Team Champions before losing their titles to FTR in a classic battle at Supercard of Honor. The bout was highly-anticipated by wrestling fans and it did not disappoint.
While a rematch should definitely happen down the road, the one match that the Briscoe Brothers should have is with the newly formed Blackpool Combat Club.
The duo of Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley are a main event alliance, especially now that they are managed by the legendary William Regal. With Danielson's mat wrestling abilities and Mox's violent brawling, they make it a formidable match for any opponent.
It is also a tag team classic waiting to happen and a dream match between AEW and ROH opponents.