#10 – Ratings Don't Matter
I have to get something off my chest – ratings don't matter. How many PPV's a company sells doesn't matter. Are you an accountant? Are you in any way effected by the level of financial success or failure a wrestling company has? Unless you own WWE stock, the answer is a resounding, emphatic "NO!"
If you don't want TNA because the ratings are under a 1.0 you're not a wrestling fan. I'm just gonna come right out and say it. If you don't watch Ring of Honor because their iPPV and DVD sales aren't the same as a billion dollar empire, you're not a wrestling fan. I don't know what it is that you are, but the word "fan" is reserved for people who care about things like storytelling, actual wrestling, and the evolution of characters.
I should mention that ROH is seeing the best live gates, buyrates and merchandise sales they've ever seen right now. A lot of that has to do with increased exposure from guys like Matt Hardy, and a change in the way they "do" wrestling. Which brings me to my next point —
#9 – A Whole New World
Don't you dare close your eyes. #DisneySongs
Ring of Honor is a different beast than it was three or four years ago. If you watched a few episodes back then and decided it wasn't for you, that shouldn't write off the product forever. About the only thing that hasn't changed is that they have a focus on great in-ring competition. I honestly believe that's something embedded in the DNA of ROH that will never change. Their hardcore fanbase cares too much.
Over the last few years there's been a change in how ROH approaches the wrestling business. I've seen a drastic increase in the amount of stories they tell. It seems like almost every match on a DVD or iPPV card has a story behind it. The use of factions has been more prevalent with S.C.U.M. in 2013 and now The Decade in 2014.
The roster is also different, and seems to be consistently evolving. AJ Styles dropped out of TNA and has made several appearances. Chris Hero is back. Two big up-and-comers with size and strength to match – Raymond Rowe and Hanson – were added to the roster after a great Top Prospects tournament. It's a whole new world in Ring of Honor. If you are at all interested in getting into the product, or getting BACK into the product, now is as good a time as any.
