Update On WWE's Attempts To Buy ROH
Is the reported purchase in jeopardy?
WWE's reported buyout of Ring of Honor has been one of wrestling's biggest talking points since the news broke last week. According to the original report, WWE officials have been negotiating the acquisition since January, and if successful, they'll look to screen ROH's weekly TV show on the WWE Network.
A new story from Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports suggests that such a deal has never been on the cards, however. A source with direct knowledge of the situation has told Carroll that "there is no story here," and ROH will remain under its current ownership.
ROH COO Joe Koff also shot down rumours of a takeover during an interview with CBS earlier in March, but didn't rule-out the possibility of working with WWE. Noting the two companies' positive working relationship, Koff stated that he'd be happy to do a deal for early-career footage of current WWE stars like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe, but that ROH TV wouldn't be streaming on the Network:-
“I’m always open to any conversation. We'd do business with them if they wanted to do a DVD or VOD, and if they need footage from early matches they do come to us. We are open to work with them on that basis because it doesn’t hurt us. It actually helps us."
Koff's denial should be taken with a hint of scepticism, as an ROH official isn't exactly going to divulge details of any negotiations at this stage. Whatever the case, we'll likely learn more about the buyout over the coming weeks.