Ranking All 9 Former ROH World Champions Who Came To WWE
Is Ring of Honor truly a stepping stone for success in WWE?
Ten years ago, it would have been unfathomable to think someone the size of CM Punk or Daniel Bryan would ever amount to anything in WWE, likely to be looked over for the more larger-than-life likes of John Cena, Batista, and Roman Reigns. But the landscape has drastically changed since then.
In 2016 alone, WWE recruited several stars from across the independent scene who wouldn't have gotten a second look a decade earlier. While very few of them fit the mold of a typical WWE Superstar, that doesn't at all mean they won't be successful on WWE's main stage. Moreover, a number of them have roots in Ring of Honor, an organization known for feeding future stars to WWE.
The ROH World Championship is the company's most prestigious prize, and thus it comes as no surprise that many men who have held that title in the past decade and a half have since traveled to WWE. But what are the chances that potential prospects such as Adam Cole, Jay Lethal, and Kyle O'Reilly will flourish under the bright lights? Let's look at all nine former ROH World champions who have come to WWE and the level of success they have experienced.
9. Low Ki (Kaval)
Needless to say, Low Ki didn't come close to achieving the same amount of success as anyone else on this list, which was a major disappointment considering he became the inaugural Ring of Honor World champion in July 2002.
Fans figured he would be destined for big things from that point forward, especially once he eventually signed with WWE in 2010. Rebranded as Kaval, he took part in the second season of NXT (back when it carried a competition-style format, mind you), and similar to fellow Ring of Honor standout Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan during the first season, it was apparent Kaval was not who officials had in mind as the intended winner (the fact LayCool were paired with him as his mentors should have been a sign of things to come).
All eyes were on Alex Riley or Michael McGillicutty winning the contract, though Kaval turned a ton of heads when he won the fan vote and earned a main roster contract as a result. However, the writing should have been on the wall once he was attacked by the rest of the show's competitors immediately upon being deemed the victor of Season 2.
In the months that followed, Kaval couldn't seem to buy a victory on WWE TV, losing almost every match he competed in against the likes of Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, and even Chavo Guerrero. He was ultimately let go by the company two days before Christmas with insiders unsurprisingly citing "lack of creative plans" as the reason why.