List of ROH World Champions
Encyclopedia
The ROH World Championship
is a professional wrestling
world championship
owned and copyrighted by Ring of Honor
(ROH) promotion
. The championship was created and debuted on July 27, 2002 at ROH's Crowning a Champion event
. Originally called the ROH Championship, the title was renamed to the ROH World Championship in May 2003 after the title was defended outside the United States for the first time—earlier that month, then-champion Samoa Joe
had defeated The Zebra Kid
in London
, England. On August 12, 2006, the ROH World Championship was unified with the ROH Pure Championship
after then-champion Bryan Danielson
defeated ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness
in Liverpool
, England. The Pure Championship was deactivated after this match.
ROH World Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches
, in which competitors are involved in scripted
rivalries. These narratives create feud
s between the various competitors, which cast them as villains
and heroes
. Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name
, while others used their real name
. Reigns that were won on pay-per-view events aired on tape delay
up to weeks or months apart. Reigns that were won at live events were released on DVD. The inaugural champion was Low Ki, whom ROH recognized to have become the champion after defeating Christopher Daniels
, Spanky
, and Doug Williams
in a Four Way 60-minute Iron Man match
on July 27, 2002 at ROH's Crowning a Champion event. As of , Austin Aries
holds the record for most reigns, with two. As of , Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness have the most defenses, with 38; Low Ki has the least, with 1. At days, Samoa Joe's reign is the longest in the title's history. The current champion is Davey Richards
, who is in his first reign as champion. Overall, there have been 16 reigns among 15 wrestlers.
ROH World Championship
The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling...
is a professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
world championship
Championship (professional wrestling)
A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...
owned and copyrighted by Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
(ROH) promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
. The championship was created and debuted on July 27, 2002 at ROH's Crowning a Champion event
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
. Originally called the ROH Championship, the title was renamed to the ROH World Championship in May 2003 after the title was defended outside the United States for the first time—earlier that month, then-champion Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
had defeated The Zebra Kid
Roy Bevis
Roy Bevis, better known by his ring name Zebra Kid is a British professional wrestler. Bevis is the son of the well-known wrestler-turned-promoter, Ricky Knight...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. On August 12, 2006, the ROH World Championship was unified with the ROH Pure Championship
ROH Pure Championship
The Ring of Honor Pure Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor...
after then-champion Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
defeated ROH Pure Champion Nigel McGuinness
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England. The Pure Championship was deactivated after this match.
ROH World Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches
Professional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
, in which competitors are involved in scripted
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
rivalries. These narratives create feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
s between the various competitors, which cast them as villains
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
and heroes
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
. Some reigns were held by champions using a ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
, while others used their real name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
. Reigns that were won on pay-per-view events aired on tape delay
Broadcast delay
In radio and television, broadcast delay refers to the practice of intentionally delaying broadcast of live material. A short delay is often used to prevent profanity, bloopers, violence, or other undesirable material from making it to air, including more mundane problems such as technical...
up to weeks or months apart. Reigns that were won at live events were released on DVD. The inaugural champion was Low Ki, whom ROH recognized to have become the champion after defeating Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
, Spanky
Brian Kendrick
Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Before joining TNA he spent several years wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick...
, and Doug Williams
Doug Williams (wrestler)
Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
in a Four Way 60-minute Iron Man match
Iron Man match
An Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most falls at the end of that time named the victor...
on July 27, 2002 at ROH's Crowning a Champion event. As of , Austin Aries
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
holds the record for most reigns, with two. As of , Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness have the most defenses, with 38; Low Ki has the least, with 1. At days, Samoa Joe's reign is the longest in the title's history. The current champion is Davey Richards
Davey Richards
Wesley David Richards is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Davey Richards.Richards is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is the current ROH World Champion, but also wrestles for several companies on the independent circuit, including Pro Wrestling...
, who is in his first reign as champion. Overall, there have been 16 reigns among 15 wrestlers.
Names
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| ROH Championship | 2002 – May 2003 |
| ROH World Championship | May 2003 – present |
Reigns
| # | Wrestlers | Reign | Date | Days held |
Location | Successful defenses | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1 | Crowning a Champion | Low Ki defeated Christopher Daniels Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also... , Spanky Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under his real name. Before joining TNA he spent several years wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled under his name, as Spanky, and finally as "The" Brian Kendrick... , and Doug Williams Doug Williams (wrestler) Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams... in a Four Way 60 minute Iron Man match Iron Man match An Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most falls at the end of that time named the victor... to become the inaugural champion. |
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| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 4 | Unscripted | ||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 29 | Night of Champions | After Joe defeated The Zebra Kid Roy Bevis Roy Bevis, better known by his ring name Zebra Kid is a British professional wrestler. Bevis is the son of the well-known wrestler-turned-promoter, Ricky Knight... on May 17, 2003, in London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... , the ROH Championship was renamed the ROH World Championship. |
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| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 16 | Final Battle 2004 ROH Final Battle Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first live pay-per-view, broadcast on the internet... |
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| Morristown, New Jersey Morristown, New Jersey Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the... |
4 | Death Before Dishonor III | ||||||
| Dayton, Ohio Dayton, Ohio Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census... |
4 | Redemption | A Four Way Match also involving Christopher Daniels Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also... and Samoa Joe Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.... . |
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| Lake Grove, New York Lake Grove, New York Lake Grove is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 10,250 at the 2000 census.The Village of Lake Grove is located in the Town of Brookhaven.... |
38 | Glory by Honor IV | Danielson unified the title with the ROH Pure Championship ROH Pure Championship The Ring of Honor Pure Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor... on August 12, 2006 by defeating Nigel McGuinness Nigel McGuinness Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan... in Liverpool, England Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880... . |
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| Manhattan, New York Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
3 | Final Battle 2006 ROH Final Battle Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first live pay-per-view, broadcast on the internet... |
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| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 20 | Fifth Year Festival: Philly | ||||||
| Edison, New Jersey Edison, New Jersey Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township... |
38 | Undeniable ROH Undeniable Undeniable was a professional wrestling pay-per-view promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on October 6, 2007 from the Inman Sports Club in Edison, New Jersey and aired on PPV on January 18, 2008.-Results:-References:*-External links:**... |
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| Houston, Texas | 6 | Supercard of Honor IV | ||||||
| Manhattan, New York Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
13 | Manhattan Mayhem III | This was a three way elimination match also involving Tyler Black. | |||||
| Manhattan, New York Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
7 | Eighth Anniversary Show | ||||||
| Manhattan, New York Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
5 | Glory By Honor IX Glory By Honor IX Glory By Honor IX was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor , which was only available online. It took place on September 11, 2010, at the Manhattan Center in New York City... |
This was a No Disqualification match with Terry Funk Terry Funk Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley... as the ringside enforcer. |
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| Manhattan, New York Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
3 | Manhattan Mayhem IV | Became the first and, thus far, only ROH Triple Crown Champion Triple Crown Champion The Triple Crown Championship is an accomplishment in professional wrestling. It is a distinction made to a professional wrestler who has won three specific championships... |
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| + | Manhattan, New York Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
4 | Best in the World 2011 Best in the World 2011 Best in the World 2011 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view by Ring of Honor that took place on June 26, 2011. It was an afternoon show that began at 4pm and marked the return of ROH to the Hammerstein Ballroom for the first time since 2009... |
List of combined reigns
| x | Indicates the current champion |
| Rank | Wrestler | # Of Reigns | Combined Days | Combined Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | ||||
| 38 | ||||
| 38 | ||||
| 29 | ||||
| 20 | ||||
| 7 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| x | + | 3 | ||
| 3 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 1 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 4 |