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The original scouting grounds for the WWE has been and always will be the third biggest promotion in the United States, Ring Of Honor (ROH). Ask any devoted member of the IWC about their pro wrestling preferences and the popular answers would be New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring of Honor.
Let's keep the Japanese giant aside here and focus on Ring Of Honor. For a company that was always billed to take over TNA’s position as a big ticket alternative to the WWE, Ring of Honor has till date, not reached the mainstream status as its trouble peer. One of the contributing factors for Ring of Honor's inability to break away as a viable competitor to WWE has always been WWE’s relentless poaching capabilities and the mutual understanding between the contrasting promotions.
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Many marquee names from Ring of Honor have jumped ship to WWE over the years. A validation of Ring of Honor’s quality is the fact that many of the Ring of Honor alums have gone on to become the quintessential guys in the WWE. This slideshow takes a look at those uberly talented names and also the others who’ve been a part of the WWE and Ring of Honor but didn’t necessarily make it big in Vince McMahon’s empire.
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Honourable guest appearances
Over the years, Ring Of Honor has seen the who’s who of professional wrestling grace their rings in some capacity or another. After leaving the WWE initially in 2001, Eddie Guererro lost in the promotion’s debut show – The Era of Honor Begins – against Super Crazy for the IWA Intercontinental title. The legendary Dusty Rhodes’s made his first in-ring indy appearance for ROH in an "I Quit Bunkhouse Riot."
That’s not all, as a part of his quest to establish himself as a legitimate singles superstar akin his tag team partner Edge, Christain worked two matches for ROH while he simultaneously made a name for himself in TNA during that period. The current NXT Tag Team Champions, Tommaso Ciampi and Johnny Gargano have also worked for the company, with Ciampi being a former ROH World Television Champion.
Many other legendary names such as Abdullah the Butcher, Harley Race, Tommy Dreamer, Honky Tonk Mank, Bruno Sammartino and Ken Shamrock boosted the star power of ROH by appearing in a non-wrestling capacity.
Other names familiar to the WWE fans who worked for ROH include Shane Douglas, Kota Ibushi, Shinsuke Nakamura (in a match against Kevin Owens), Scotty 2 Hotty, Sunny, Lance Storm, Dlo Brown, Jimmy Yang, Joey Mercury, Terry Funk (who faced CM Punk) and Alberto Del Rio.
Jobbers in the WWE, assets for ROH
There were also a bunch of jobbers or developmental rejects in the WWE who found success in Ring Of Honor. The likes of Adam Pearce, Brent Albright, Chad Collyer, Mike Kruel, Jerry Lynn and Joey Ryan were just seen as enhancement talents in the eyes of the WWE, but not so in ROH.
Two other indie darlings, Kenny Omega and Christopher Daniels – who couldn’t make it into the WWE for various reasons -- found comfort in ROH and other promotions around the world.
Remember Zach Gowen? Yes, the disabled bloke who was sadistically decimated by Brock Lesnar on SmackDown. If you don’t, then this video will do the job:
Gowen was a glorified jobber in the WWE who faced the likes of John Cena, Vince McMahon (yes, the boss himself) and many other top names before being released from the company. He wrestled in ROH for some time after his departure from the WWE. He currently works for Juggalo Championship Wrestling.He appeared on American Ninja Warrior obstacle course last year.
#1 Daniel Bryan
Undoubtedly one of the greatest underdogs in WWE history, Daniel Bryan's whose exponential rise from headlining indie shows to triumphing on the grandest platform in sports entertainment of WrestleMania is nothing short of incredible.
Daniel Bryan is known as one of the founding fathers of the promotion as he headlined the company’s first event in a triple threat match against Christopher Daniels and Low Ki in 2002. Wrestling under the name Bryan Danielson, the retired WWE superstar was involved in some memorable matches against the likes of Austin Aries, Nigel McGuinness, Homicide and Samoa Joe. He won both the Ring of Honor World Championship and Ring of Honor Pure Championship once.
The American Dragon – his indie moniker – is a Ring of Honor legend before being a WWE superstar and the staunch Ring of Honor fans will forever be indebted to his services for the promotion.
Interesting Fact: Daniel Bryan’s last match was against close friend Nigel McGuiness, who coincidentally, was also having his last match for ROH.
#2 Cesaro
It’s a shame how WWE turns one of the most technically diverse wrestlers in the world into a mere afterthought. Nevertheless, Cesaro is an indie darling who worked for every wrestling promotion under the sun including Ring of Honor with his real name, Claudio Castagnoli. Cesaro along with Chris Hero – collectively known as the Kings of Wrestling, made waves in Ring of Honor by winning the Ring of Honor World Tag team championship and Wrestling Observer Tag team of the year accolade.
The Kings of Wrestling vs. Briscoe Brothers feud instantly comes to mind when you think of Cesaro’s Ring of Honor tenure. The Swiss Superman’s matches against Daniel Bryan, Shelton Benjamin, and many other notable wrestlers warrant a watch.
Interesting fact: Cesaro was voted as the most underrated wrestler from 2013-2015
#3 Chris Hero
The other half of the Kings of Wrestling, Chris Hero is another seasoned indie wrestler whose WWE story ended even before it began. Hero’s Ring of Honor career kicked off as part of the Combat Zone Wrestling-Ring of Honor invasion angle, where he was seen interfering in every match despite not being a part of the roster. The angle culminated with Hero and Cesaro winning the World Tag team Championship. Surprisingly, that was the sole title accomplishment of Hero’s Ring of Honor stint.
Interesting Fact: Working under the Kassius Ohno moniker at NXT, Hero was initially pitched to be a Shield member. He was released from his contract as he didn’t do much to impress the WWE top brass. After the exit, he returned to his old stomping grounds and till date, continues to wrestle for various indie promotions.
#4 AJ Styles
The champ that runs the blue camp has been the face of practically every notable promotion in the world and one of them was Ring of Honor. Having worked for ROH from 2002-2004 and the again from 2005-2006, Styles was never able to capture the ROH World Championship despite his earnest efforts.
However, the Phenomenal one held the ROH Pure Championship and the World Tag team Championship once and was naturally one of most over guys apart from Daniel Bryan and the rest of the fan favourites. The dream match-ups of Styles vs. Punk and Bryan vs. Styles came to fruition in an ROH ring back when all men were on the cusp of becoming a top level superstar. It goes without a doubt that Styles is one of ROH’s most established alums.
Interesting Fact: AJ Styles faced CM Punk in ROH with the legendary Rickie “The Dragon” Steamboat as the special guest referee.
#5 Seth Rollins
The WWE fans may know Seth Rollins as the man who broke up The Shield and went on to have a pleasantly surprising run as a heel champion, but for the ROH faithful, he'll always be the prodigal high flyer, Tyler Black. Rollins was one of the biggest breakout stars in ROH history, so much so that his eventual departure from the company hurt the company’s prospects.
Rollins's ROH resume includes an impressive ROH World title reign coupled with two Tag team titles to his name that he won with his longstanding partner Jimmy Jacobs. His matches against Austin Aries, Nigel McGuinness, Jimmy Jacobs and Daniel Bryan to name a few, are five-star classics you must watch.
Interesting Fact: Rollins was a hated heel during his final days with the company as the fans genuinely resented him for being a sell-out for signing with the WWE. In what was a masterstroke, Rollins used the heat to his advantage and threatened to leave ROH with the world title.
#6 Daniel Puder
Former WWE Tough Enough winner Daniel Puder’s ROH was too short-lived for anything substantial to mention. Puder was involved in an enforcer's capacity during his short ROH career and helped out the Sweet and Sour Inc. leader Larry Sweeny in his feud against Cesaro. Puder joined ROH in December 2007 and was released in January 2008 due to a budget cut.
Puder is infamously remembered for his unscripted SmackDown segment with Kurt Angle along with his controversial stint with the company.
Also read: Former WWE Superstar Daniel Puder opens up about his controversial WWE stint
Interesting Fact: Puder is a retired Mixed Martial artist who holds a flawless 8-0 record.
#7 The Hardy Boyz
After Jeff Hardy’s fall from grace due to his incessant drug use and deteriorating in-ring performance that led to his release from the WWE in 2003, the Charismatic Enigma dabbled in the indie scene before signing up with TNA. He made a one-off appearance for Ring of Honor in his Willow The Wisp persona. The was the only appearance he carried out before taking some time off from wrestling to focus on his motocross career.
His brother Matt too turned towards ROH after his release in 2005 and showed had no qualms in trashing WWE and John Laurinitis in a shoot promo. He left within a short span only to return again in 2012 to have a decent run in the company that lasted for two years. He held the ROH Iconic Championship (Matt’s re-branded version of the world title) for a while before leaving ROH again to pursue a career in TNA.
Interesting Fact: Despite being a fan favourite in the WWE, Jeff was booed out of the building in his single ROH match due to his drug-fuelled life and the careless bouts he worked. Sadly for Jeff, his hopes for a rousing welcome were substituted by 'We Want Matt' chants.
#8 Neville
The man WWE creative forgot was a popular draw on the independent circuit. Neville, popularly known as Pac among the indie fan base, appeared in a handful of matches for ROH in encounters against Matt Sydal and Roderick Strong. Neville’s extravagant move-set made him a hot entity for indie bookers, who went out of their way to get him featured on their card.
If Neville continues to tread on the grim path he’s currently on in the WWE, a move back to the indies is a viable possibility with ROH being more than happy to take him under their wings.
Interesting Fact: One of Neville’s ROH matches was against Daniel Bryan in a losing effort.
#9 Paul London
Ring of Honor was the first major company Paul London worked for after passing out from Shawn Michaels’s wrestling school in 2002. He was a big hit with the ROH fans for his high-risk style. His street fight matches in his long-drawn feud against Michael Shane put him on the map.
He left for WWE in 2003 and returned to ROH in 2013 after a decade-long absence in a short and forgettable outing.
Interesting Fact: Paul London is a one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, having also held the WWE Tag team Championships as part of the popular tag team with The Brian Kendrick. London was also Wrestling Observer’s Most Underrated Wrestler of 2004.
#10 Kevin Owens
One of the most storied rivalries in pro wrestling history between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn unfolded in the realms ROH (and PWG). Part of the success of the feud attributes itself to Kevin Owens’s rise as an exemplary heel in ROH.
Owens, better known as Kevin Steen to the ROH fans, is by far one of the greatest heels the company has ever produced as he had and still has the innate ability to get garner heat at the drop of a hat. The ROH fans loved to hate him, especially during his feud with Zayn, but at the same time didn’t miss an opportunity to chant Kill Steen Kill in unison.
The song started from the bottom now we here perfectly applies to Owens’s story, who wrestled his way through promotions, from smaller ones to bigger ones, capturing the top titles in each one of them. In ROH, he won the World title and had an impressive reign coupled with a World Tag team title run with his long-time buddy and rival Sami Zayn.
After having spent seven eventful years with the company, Owens worked his final ROH match against Steve Corino before heading to NXT. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Interesting Fact: Owens has had matches against Matt Hardy and Shinsuke Nakamura during his lengthy stint with ROH.
#11 Sami Zayn
Moving on to the other man who played his part to perfection in one of the greatest indie and pro wrestling rivalries, the underdog from the underground; Sami Zayn. Zayn is best known as the Generic Luchador El Generico and his remarkable rise as a singles competitor in ROH.
Apart from his unforgettable feud with Owens and the tag team title win, Zayn also held the ROH Television Championship on one occasion. Similar to his Canadian counterpart, Zayn worked for ROH for a substantial period before embarking on his WWE journey,
His final match couldn't have been any better as he faced Owens in a ladder war for the ROH title. If you thought their match at Battleground was the best they' have had, you need to check this one out now. NOW!
Interesting Fact: It would come as a big surprise to many that both Owens and Zayn got massive heat from the ROH fans during their initial run in 2005, The fans thought the two weren't talented enough to be on the ROH roster, which forced the duo to take some time off from the promotion. That very set of fans would surely be dumbstruck by how time, talent and effort have paid its dividends for the two future faces of the WWE.
#12 Low Ki
From winning the second season of the now defunct NXT tournament to being a failed main roster prospect, Low Ki never fit the WWE mould. However, he was perfect indie material, and ROH was one of the first promotions which saw it in the Puerto Rican wrestler,
Although Low Ki found a majority of his success in TNA, he made first made waves when he joined ROH back during the company's initial days in 2002. During his time with the enterprise, Low Ki faced off against many of his TNA colleagues such as Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and Austin Aries. Low Ki may have been a flop in the WWE, but his accomplishments around the world and his unorthodox move-set make him a unique entity.
Interesting Fact: Low Ki holds the distinction of being the first ever ROH Champion. He defeated Spanky (Brian Kendrick), Christopher Daniels, and Doug Williams in a four-man Ironman match to achieve the feat.
#13 Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass – World Greatest Tag Team
The Gold Standard did what every other former WWE star does after leaving the WWE – try his or her luck in the Indies, A man with the calibre of Shelton being a free agent is every indie booker’s dream come true. ROH was one of the company’s to latch onto the opportunity, and they did a great job by getting not only Shelton into their fold, but also his tag team partner from the WWE Charlie Haas, to reform the Worlds Greatest Tag Team.
The World Greatest Tag team made a telling debut by defeating the popular Kings of Wrestling on their first night. After going over All-night Express and the Briscoe Brothers, the inevitable happened as Benjamin and Hass won the ROH World Tag titles from Kings of Wrestling.
Benjamin’s three-year term for ROH ended on April 5th, 2013 when he wrestled his final match against Mike Bennett before going onto to create waves in Japanese wrestling circles.
Interesting Fact: Charlie Haas was originally scheduled to face Benjamin in his last ROH match after the former turned on Benjamin during their tag team title match. Unfortunately, Hass announced his premature retirement on March 30th, 2013, and Mike Bennett was instead, announced as his replacement.
#14 Rhyno
Rhyno’s resurgent run in the WWE as the current SmackDown Tag Team Champion would bring a nostalgic smile to the ardent ECW fans' faces. During his time away from the WWE, The Man Beast wrestled for both TNA and ROH.
Rhyno was introduced to the ROH Universe as the bodyguard of Prince Nana and ROH faction The Embassy. Rhyno had a handful of bouts that included being the partner of Tommaso Ciampi in a tag team contest against Homicide and Jat Lethal, His on and off ROH career ended with him attacking Jay Lethal at ROH’s 11th-anniversary show. He returned to TNA for a year before making a surprise return to NXT in 2015.
Interesting Fact: Kevin Owens successfully defended his ROH World Title against Rhino at the Death Before Dishonor X: State of Emergency event.
#15 Brian Kendrick (Spanky)
Brian Kendrick’s recent Cruiserweight title is another feel-good redemption story. The void that was left in Kendrick’s career after leaving WWE was initially filled by countless indie appearances, and a bulk of those were for ROH and other Japanese promotions.
Kendrick was pushed as a mid-card star and was involved in practically every title the company had to offer at that time. Being a mid-card name meant he would lose all his matches for the ROH Pure Championship, World Champion, and the tag team championships respectively. His short ROH run ended with WWE coming knocking at his door for a return a year after he was let go.
Fun fact: After leaving the WWE in 2004, Kendrick adopted the Leonardo Spanky moniker; inspired from Leonardo Di Caprio. The reason behind it you ask? The stark resemblance to the Oscar-winning actor.
#16 Austin Aries
The Greatest Man That Ever Lived is an ROH original as it was the promotion that gave his first big break back in 2004. Aries’s perfect blend of charisma and excellent in-ring talent made him an instant hit with the ROH fans. He was handpicked to defeat the longest reigning ROH World Champion Samoa Joe - a validation of his skill.
Being the sound worker he is, every Aries match lives up to the standards of a classic and his ones in ROH were no different. His six-month-long world title reign included a string of solid defences that ended with him dropping the strap to CM Punk. The world title wasn’t the only championship he held while being with the company as he is also a one-time World Tag team champion with Roderick Strong.
Interesting Fact: Austin Aries replaced CM Punk as the head trainer at ROH Wrestling School back in 2005 after the Cult Of Personality announced his WWE signing.
#17 Roderick Strong
WWE’s latest acquisition Roderick Strong is a bonafide ROH legend with a lengthy career to boast of with the promotion.
His 13-year career at ROH spawned innumerable five-star matches, feuds and moments that forced the WWE to take notice of him and sign him up to the hottest brand in sports entertainment, NXT. Strong went up against the biggest names on the indie scene during his time in ROH such as Seth Rollins, Jay Lethal, Austin Aries (who he won the tag titles with), Sami Zayn, Adam Cole and many others en route to attaining legendary status in the company.
Currently, he’s quite over backstage in NXT and if that is any indication, Strong’s dream of eclipsing his ROH accomplishments in a WWE ring might mot be too far-fetched.
Interesting Fact: Roderick Strong is the second Triple Crown Champion in the company’s history as he’s held the World title and the Tag team titles once each and the World Television title twice. He also defeated Daniel Bryan at a Full Impact Pro (ROH’s sister promotion) show in a Title vs. Career match Heavyweight Champion of the company.
#18 Luke Harper
It goes without saying that Luke Harper is one of the most talented big men to come to the WWE in a long time. His hard-hitting style infused with the ariel ability makes him a unique prospect for any promotion to have. Luke Harper, better known as Brodie Lee on the indie circuit, developed his in-ring style by wrestling for popular indie promotions before he set foot in the WWE.
Naturally, ROH was one of those promotions where he had a surprisingly short stay. He made his ROH debut in 2008 as part of The Age of the Fall stable and helped its leader Jimmy Jacobs in running roughshod through the roster.
His matches against Necro Butcher and March Delirious are the only noteworthy singles matches from Harper’s ROH career.
Interesting Fact: Rick Rude, Big Show and Jake 'The Snake' Roberts have influenced Harper the most.
#19 Ric Flair
The Nature Boy Ric Flair surely has a flair of trying out various options. After his WWE contract ended in 2009, Flair experimented in the independent scene. He signed with ROH to become their ambassador and on-air authority figure. Flair refrained from getting into the ring for ROH and was mostly involved in sanctioning matches and making changes if the need arose.
He didn’t stick around for long and was signed by the company for WWE rejects, TNA.
Interesting Fact: In 2009 during his time with ROH, the Two-time WWE Hall of Famer returned to the ring to face Hulk Hogan for the Hulkamania: Let The Battle Begin tour in four matches. Note that these bouts weren’t promoted by ROH but were the brainchild of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff.
#20 Mick Foley
The Hardcore legend’s story is the same as any other former WWE wrestler – leave WWE and have a short run in the indies. Despite signing with ROH and teasing many in-ring returns, Foley never stepped inside the ROH ring to wrestle and was always retained in non-wrestling capacities.
His first major feud in ROH was against fellow WWE legend Ricky Steamboat in a battle to determine which was the greater form of wrestling – traditional or hardcore. Both the legends handpicked their tailor-made teams filled with top ROH talents. Steamboat had the last laugh as his team ended up winning the match.
From there on Foley turned heel and initiated a rivalry with Samoa Joe, calling the Samoan Submission Machine ‘softcore’ and subsequently laying him out with a steel chair. Foley never got into the ring with Samoa Joe and always nominated an opponent to take the two-time NXT Champion down. However, Joe always came out on top and ended the feud on a high.
In his final ROH appearance, Foley stood in AJ Styles's corner in his match against Jimmy Rave. He put the promotion over in a big way in his post-match promo by stating how grateful he was for the great time he had with the enterprise.
Interesting Fact: In one of his appearances for ROH, a babyface Foley returned to confront the then heel ROH champion CM Punk – who was on his way to the WWE. Punk was quite critical about the company and even went on to claim he would take the title to the WWE in a bid to get some heat. Foley pitched himself as Vince McMahon's mouthpiece and convinced Punk to defend the title for the last time before he left ROH for WWE.
#21 Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Before signing as a road agent with WWE, The Dragon’s post-retirement activities saw him make many appearances for ROH. He refereed the first ROH Pure Championship defence and countless others in the initial phase. Steamboat wasn’t a big fan of ROH hotshot CM Punk and often criticised the Cult of Personality for his arrogant attitude. The mini-feud ended with Punk changing his stance with an honest promise to Steamboat that he would strive to become the man the legend envisions him to be. This was an excellent way to put over Punk as a legit babyface.
His final appearances saw him in a feud with Mick Foley in a pure wrestling vs. hardcore wrestling claim for superiority battle. After many matches between the teams spearheaded by the legends, the feud ended with both making peace and settling the debate amicably. Note that despite the teasers of a match between the two, Steamboat and Foley didn't lace up their wrestling boots.
Interesting Fact: The confrontations between Cm Punk and Steamboat ended with the legend becoming the mentor of Punk.
#22 CM Punk
Ask any die-hard ROH fan about their cherished memories of faithfully watching the promotion and the Summer of Punk would certainly be one of the most popular answers. After wrapping up a highly rated feud with ECW legend Raven, Punk rose up the ranks in ROH that lead to a push into the World Title scene against Samoa Joe in 2004.
What transpired next was an extraordinary three-match series between two of the most talented pro wrestlers at that time. Their second match, in particular, that ended in a 60-minute draw, is a showcase of wrestling of the highest order. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer gave the showdown a 5-star rating – the first in seven years after Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels at Bad Blood. Even though Samoa Joe ended up winning the feud and the title in the process, the feud did the world of good for Punk – who started gaining traction from the WWE.
Punk agreed to WWE's deal in 2005 and was set to wrap up things with ROH. But in a surprising turn of events, Punk beat Austin Aries at Death Before Dishonor II to become the ROH World Champion. Thus began a memorable heel run and the Summer of Punk that involved him threatening the ROH fans of walking away from the promotion with the title. He eventually dropped the belt in his final ROH match to close friend Colt Cabana with a two-out-of-three falls stipulation.
Punk was quite overwhelmed in his swan song and was crying while he posed in an ROH ring for the last time before the bout. The picture of a teary-eyed Punk standing in the middle of the squared circle, till date, would elicit an emotional feeling in every ROH and pro wrestling fan.
Interesting Fact: WhenTNA newly signed Punk’s initial days with ROH, Punk infamously got into a short brawl with Teddy Hart before a TNA show at a restaurant. Sabu had to intervene and break things up before the fight went out of hand. The issue is said to have emanated from an ROH event when Hart orchestrated three impromptu spots that could have been fatal for the wrestlers in a match.
While this was stated as the reason TNA let go off Punk, Punk later clarified that the real reason why TNA released him was his inability to get over with the fans as heels.
#23 Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe’s expeditious rise in ROH is a brilliant example of the importance of a first impression. Joe’s MMA infused style got over with the fans in a jiffy as the Samoan Submission Machine soon went on to become the ROH Champion – later rebranded as the ROH World Championship.
His legendary trilogy against Punk is what ROH folklore is made of. He held the ROH Pure Championship after his World title run and put on a string of solid matches in his three-month reign that ended at the hands of Nigel Mcguiness.
Samoa Joe earned another envious accolade when his match against Kenta Kobashi – which was part of the Japanese sensation’s once-in-a-lifetime trip to the United States, got a five-star rating from respected wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer. After making the right noises in ROH, TNA picked up the monster of a man and booked him like a beast. He went on to surpass his ROH achievements in TNA, and we all hope he does the same in the WWE.
Interesting Fact: Samoa Joe is the longest reigning World Champion in the company's history having held the title for 645 days. Joe made a one-off appearance to defeat Seth Rollins in 2008 at the Rising Above ROH event and again returned in 2015 in his ROH farewell match when he teamed up with AJ Styles to beat Christopher Daniels and Kazarian.
#24 Colt Cabana
Colt Cabana’s name will forever by synonymous to CM Punk due to the recognised relationship between the long-time friends. Cabana broke into the scene at ROH as part of the Second City Saints stable along with his trainer Ace Steel and CM Punk. He will be remembered for his two tag team title reigns with Punk and the emotionally drenched match in Chicago against CM Punk -- which was his final match for the company,
Cabana’s WWE run didn’t pay any dividends as he couldn't break the proverbial glass ceiling and always ended up being booked poorly. Naturally, he didn’t get over despite being given his show called Gold as Goldman on WWE.com and eventually was released after his last match on SmackDown against Umaga.
Cabana recently returned to ROH on April 1st, 2016 to challenge Jay Lethal to an ROH World Championship match (that ended in a no-contest courtesy of a Bullet Club interference). He is currently contracted with the promotion.
Interesting Fact: Colt Cabana along with fellow ROH wrestlers Adam Pearce and Dave Prazak nearly lost their lives once in a car accident. It was October 2006 that Cabana, his close friend and fellow Chicago native Adam Pearce, and Dave Prazak were returning from an ROH show when Cabana lost control of the car due to inclement weather.
The trio walked away with minor bruises despite the fact that the car got completely mangled due to the impact. It was all because they were wearing seat belts that they lived to see another day. The three talented wrestlers would have lost their lives had they neglected basic safety procedures. Take note people.
#25 Matt Sydal
After jobbing for TNA, Matt Sydal – better known as Evan Bourne to the WWE universe, turned towards ROH for a push in his adolescent career. ROH got him on board and made use of him in the tag team scene by adding him in stables such as The Embassy and Generation Next during his initial phase.
Sydal then went on the futile pursuit to capture the ROH World Tag Team Championships along with wrestlers such as Samoa Joe, Roderick Strong, and Jack Evans. After all the failed attempts, his alliance with Christopher Daniels bore fruit as the duo went on to win the ROH World Tag team titles from the Kings of Wrestling.
Sydal never broke into the World title scene and eventually left the company after WWE showed interest in the high-flying wrestler. He worked his final match against Delirious – one of his most noteworthy rivals in ROH.
For a man as talented as Sydal, his WWE career didn’t account for much as he is best remembered for being the man on the receiving end of the greatest RKO Outta Nowhere. Apart from the highlight reel moment, he was just a glorified jobber, whose release was attributed to his drug dependencies and the broken foot he sustained in a car accident in 2012.
Interesting Fact: Sydal was recently arrested for possession of marijuana in Japan.
#26 TJ Perkins
From being just another generic indie wrestler to the first cruiserweight champion of the new era, TJ Perkins has slogged his way to the top. Similar to every wrestler who aspires to strengthen his resume before being approached by a major promotion, Perkins too wrestled for ROH.
Sadly for him, he was just signed to lose and make the bigger stars look good in defeat. Going by the name Puma, Perkins accumulated losses against the likes of Jay Briscoe, Jay Lethal, Mike Bennett and many other names during his forgettable time with the promotion.
In 2012, Perkins experienced a moment of truth and asked for his release from the company citing the restricted opportunities for him to expand his horizons and grow.
Interesting Fact: TJ Perkins is a former TNA X-Division Champion under his masked Manik gimmick.
#27 Cedric Alexander
Moving from one cruiserweight to another, Cedric Alexander’s earnest work in Ring of Honor is the reason why Triple H picked him for the CWC. Spending a majority of his career in ROH, Alexander was part of the popular tag team C&C Wrestle Factory along with Caprice Coleman. Despite facing the top teams of the promotion in the Young Bucks, S.C.U.M, and Adrenaline Rush, the duo never held the prestigious ROH World Tag Team titles.
His singles run too was devoid of any titles. The most glaring accomplishment of his was ending Moose’s undefeated streak with the help of a wrench. ROH provided Alexander the launch pad to the WWE and the highly rated talent will forever be indebted for the company's trust.
Interesting Fact: Cedric ranked 85th in PWI’s list of top 500 wrestlers of 2015.
#28 Jamie Noble
While Jamie Noble never rose above the lower -mid-card level in the WWE, the independent promotions – Ring of Honor in particular – saw a star in him. After he left the WWE in 2004, ROH signed him up and instantly put the ROH world title around his waist.
Wrestling with his birth name, Jamie Gibson, he beat Punk, Daniels and Joe in a four-way elimination match to capture the coveted title. He held on to the strap for a month before dropping it and returning to WWE.
Interesting Fact: Noble lost the ROH World title to Daniel Bryan.
#29 Maria Kanellis
From being voted as the WWE Diva of the year to the eventual release, Maria Kanellis is just one of WWE’s failed experiments. The self-proclaimed First Lady of ROH had quite a decent run with the promotion along with her real-life boyfriend, Mike Bennett.
The couple was involved in many rivalries with the Benett-Kevin Owens ranking on top of the list. Apart from being Bennett’s valet, the bombshell even wrestled in many mixed tag team matches. Her greatest contributions were always as the supportive girlfriend interfering in her beau’s matches. The couple quit ROH in 2015 due to a round of unsuccessful contract negotiations.
Interesting Fact: Maria wrestled in an inter-gender tag team match alongside Mike Bennett against Brutal Bob Evans and Cheeseburger (The Brutal Burgers).
#30 Ember Moon
Ember Moon is one of the hottest prospects in NXT at the moment, who's billed for great things in the WWE in the near future, Having toiled her way in the indie scene, Moon worked for many female-centric promotions under the Athena moniker before she got signed to NXT.
She wrestled a handful of matches for ROH in a feud with MsChiff. Before anything substantial could come out of it, the talented wrestler caught the eye of WWE officials, who wasted no time in getting her on board.
Interesting fact: Ember Moon honed her in-ring skills under the watchful eyes of her mentor, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, On a side note, her diving corkscrew stunner finisher is a thing of beauty!
