ROH COO Joe Koff On How Long Hardys Are With ROH, Adam Cole Not Being The Face Of ROH, WWE Network
Chuck Carroll interviewed Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff for CBS ahead of tonight's 15th Anniversary Show. Make sure to join us tonight for our live coverage of the pay-per-view. During the interview, Koff said that Bully Ray was interested in a longer-term deal with ROH than the Hardy Boyz, who are there "for the immediate future." The full article can be found here, they sent us these highlights:
How did the deal with the Hardy Boyz come to fruition? And how long can we expect to see them in ROH?
"The Hardyz was [an] almost serendipitous situation. We obviously had them booked for Lakeland on April 1st? When they chose not to renew with Impact, we saw an opportunity. They are with us for the immediate future. They want to keep their options open."
What about Bully Ray? When was that decision made?
"We told him what we had in mind and how he would fit in his role in Ring of Honor. He made the decision [that] this is where he wanted to be? He was interested in a longer-term deal."
WWE surveyed fans about content they'd like to see on the WWE Network, and Ring of Honor was one of the options listed. Were there ever any discussions about adding ROH shows to their platform?
"No. No, no, no. It's very flattering and humbling to us. It validates what we've done. But let's face it, a lot of their current competitors are ROH guys, and we have their history."
Christopher Daniels is someone who was there for Day 1. He's had a successful career, but never won the ROH World Title. He has a shot in Las Vegas. Give me your impression of The Fallen Angel.
"Does he deserve that shot? Yes, he deserves that shot. Will he earn it? I don't know. I really don't know that. I stay out of that? I have people that I entrust to do their jobs. While I like to know what's going on, I'm not dictating what's going on. That's a danger."
Other promotions are built around a handful of guys. Is Adam Cole someone you can build ROH around?
"Do I think he's the face of the brand? I don't. There are five or 10 other guys who, to me, have equal faces in that brand. That's not what we do, we don't elevate people to that level."
In the full interview, Koff elaborated about the Hardys and Bully Ray's futures and what led to their contract signings, ROH's plans for international growth and more. You can read the full interview by clicking here.