ROH News: ROH COO Joe Koff discusses the possibility of working with Impact Wrestling
What’s the story?
During a recent interview with TV Insider, Joe Koff discussed the possibility of a working relationship between Ring of Honor and TNA.
In case you didn’t know...
Joe Koff is the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Training and Development for Ring of Honor. Ring of Honor is a wrestling promotion that is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group.
They run live events throughout the United States and Canada, as well as some occasional shows in the United Kingdom and Japan. They currently have working relationships with New Japan Pro Wrestling and the CMLL promotion in Mexico.
The heart of the matter
Koff was asked about his thoughts on a possible working relationship with Impact Wrestling – or TNA – and he had this to say:
“I think what you are seeing with Cody, for example, where he has done some shows for them. However, he has been fairly exclusive to us from a television and domestic standpoint over the last two or three months. That Hardy Boys and Young Bucks angle was born because of them. It all took an organic path that ended up on our channel and hopefully back to TNA. I think it’s a start.”
Koff would go on to discuss that he’s looking at the situations he mentioned and thinking about the logistics of how it works, as well as how it’s supposed to work. He states that because those angles were created by the talent instead of the office, they might have a more organic feel.
He also discussed the moment that Matt Hardy appeared on the screen in the Hammerstein Ballroom in December at ROH’s Final Battle event. He said that it was one of those moments that he’ll never forget because it was palpable and the reaction was amazing.
Koff feels like instances like the Hardy appearance at Final Battle goes back to what makes Ring of Honor special, which is the ability to surprise people. He says that because ROH is a tight knit group that isn’t influenced by the outside world, they’re able to keep secrets for the most part.
Koff went on to directly address TNA, saying that he had no issues with the previous management of the company, but with the new management in place, they seem to be more open to the idea of working together in the professional wrestling space, which he considers good for the business.
Koff also spoke at length about several other topics.
What’s next?
Ring of Honor’s next scheduled event is the 15th Anniversary show, which will take place on March 10th. The event will happen in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will see Christopher Daniels challenge Adam Cole for the ROH World Championship in the main event.
Sportskeeda’s take
Joe Koff seems like a very intelligent individual who has a true passion for professional wrestling. It will be interesting to see how Ring of Honor moves forward into the next fifteen years and hopefully beyond.
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