How Does Damian Priest Feel About The New Direction Of ROH?
At the end of 2021, Ring of Honor wrestling was on the ropes of extinction post-Covid-19, announcing a hiatus after its Final Battle pay-per-view in December. All talent within the company were notified that they would be released from their contracts as a part of the company's plans to "work internally to reimagine" ROH with a "new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience" for fans.
AEW Owner Tony Khan, however, came to the aid of ROH, purchasing the video library, brand assets, and intellectual property of the 20-year-old wrestling company. Since then, Khan has held two AEW/ROH promoted shows, Supercard of Honor XV and Death Before Dishonor, with the recently signed AEW superstar Claudio Castagnoli becoming ROH World Champion at the latter event.
With so many of today's top wrestling stars having ties to ROH, many wondered what this move could mean for the landscape of the wrestling industry, with talent like Samoa Joe and others coming to AEW to be a part of the ROH revamp. Someone with ties to ROH who currently wrestles outside of AEW would be Damian Priest, who wrestled for the brand under the name "Punisher Martinez."
Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman asked Priest about his thoughts on ROH's revival during an interview before his WWE SummerSlam match against The Mysterios. Priest and his Judgment Day partner Finn Balor would be unsuccessful in defeating Rey and Dominik Mysterio in Nashville with the help of a returning WWE Hall of Famer, Edge.
"Anytime that there's another avenue for the boys and girls to go to, it's a positive," Priest said about Tony Khan purchasing ROH. "I obviously still have friends there, so there's nothing negative about a good place for people to continue living their dreams. For me, that's A+."
As far as what's next for ROH, there currently aren't any dates secured for another PPV, but the current ROH World Champion Castagnoli will be defending his title for the first time against Konosuke Takeshita at "Battle of the Belts III" in Grand Rapids, MI on August 5.