Backstage News On Future Of ROH Staff Following Tony Khan’s Purchase
It has been a week since AEW owner and CEO Tony Khan announced he was buying Ring of Honor, and more questions than answers still remain. Some details however, such as the date the deal will officially close and who will be brought back for Khan's vision of ROH, may now be known.
According to an exclusive report by SEScoops, Ring of Honor executives are expecting the deal with Tony Khan to be completed around the first week of April, though it is possible the deal could be closed sooner. Sources have also described the deal as having been done in reverse due to how quickly the deal came together. It was also confirmed that certain details are still being hammered out as the deal is completed.
Among those details may involve who is kept on as the ROH regime change occurs. Sources told SEScoops that Ring of Honor employees do not believe that Khan's regime will be interested in hiring them once the sale is complete. They have thus been encouraged to explore new career opportunities and to speak to HR department of Sinclair Broadcasting, the soon-to-be-former owner of ROH.
Severance packages are reportedly being considered, but couldn't be confirmed, and current ROH management is unsure if they will release a statement on the matter once the sale is complete.
Also being discussed is the future of HonorClub, ROH's streaming service. SEScoops was told that a call between Ring of Honor and AEW has been set up to review the streaming service's setup and whether it will be included in Khan's purchase of ROH. Subscribers will be kept in the loop regarding any potential changes to HonorClub.
SEScoops described the general message to ROH staff from management as follows.
"We're fighting for you and exploring how to help everyone. If you want to stay in the wrestling business, we're doing our best, but there is no formal transition planned and no guarantee that anybody will stay on."
Tony Khan briefly talked about his purchase of Ring of Honor last week on Dynamite and again in the post-AEW Revolution press scrum this past Sunday. Though he has provided limited details, Khan's plan is to continue running Ring of Honor shows.