Tracy Williams Wants To Face Samoa Joe In ROH
Ring of Honor has erred on the side of caution since the pandemic took hold last year. They've been running shows inside its "Bubble" without fans. Stars like Tracy Williams have trusted the process. Despite sports and other wrestling companies hosting crowds, the tag tam champion hasn't heard much about ROH following suit at this moment in time.
"I think my take on it is as long as it's done in a responsible way, it's going to be great," Williams said. "I would just hope that when we are ready to have a crowd we're able to have a crowd that feels like a Ring of Honor crowd.
"I think we've all gotten used to the way we're doing it now, tapings with no crowd, that we're chomping at the bit for that real crowd-wrestler interaction experience. I think once we get to a point we can do that safely. I think we're getting there. I got the second shot of the vaccination. That's a big step personally."
The Foundation standout re-signed with the company in the beginning of the year. He is among a number of names ROH is locking down for the foreseeable future as it looks to rebuild and regain momentum. Given the recent WWE releases, there are also a number of new names on the open market. Williams knows one ROH alum who could make an immediate impact.
"Everybody said it when it happened, but the first guy you think of is Samoa Joe," Williams said. "I watched Ring of Honor for a long time. He is the kind of wrestler who got it done in the ring and his actions speak for him. He is a man of strong worth, but he is also in-ring one of the best wrestlers you've ever seen.
"That's what got him to the top was that presence and legit cred as a wrestler. He is and would be a perfect fit for Ring of Honor. But that's up to the man. Overall it sucks to see that [ release] happen, especially under these circumstances. We're still in the midst of a pandemic. I think [him coming in] would be incredible and a test I would love to take on if the opportunity presented itself."
Seeing fellow men and women in the business out of work is a sad situation. For Williams, it reinforces he made the right move to re-sign with ROH in January. He looks back at the last year when the company continued to keep stars paid even when they weren't running shows during the pandemic.
"There was no way to know something like the [releases]would happen, but it did solidify that I made the right decision to go in the direction I went in. I don't regret any turns I made in wrestling. I think I have the right mindset on it. I think I've made the right choices.
"Even now you're still seeing new talent coming in. It's not like they are sticking to the hands they've been dealt before the pandemic. They are still looking for the best and others who can take things in different directions. That's what makes it interesting to work there and challenges us. Us in the Foundation, we're trying to show our kind of wrestling. Ring of Honor is bringing in guys like Chris Dickinson and Homicide is back. They are giving these people a chance to show what they do. The competition is still there. It feels like the company is willing to put feelers out for the best. It's a great feeling."
Ring of Honor TV, Syndication and HonorClub. You can find the full audio and video from Tracy's interview below: