5 Wrestlers Who Made The ROH World Title
It wouldn't be what it is today without them.
In its 16 years of existence, Ring Of Honor has established itself as one of the best independent wrestling promotions in the world. Their list of alumni reads as a who's who of professional wrestling stars, and they are regarded by many as a stepping stone for success in WWE.
Just a quick glance at the list of men who've held the prestigious ROH World Championship and the sheer length of time they've held it for gives you an idea of the high regard it's held in. This is not a belt to be hot-potatoed for a storyline, or put on a member of the roster to get them over; this is an (excuse the pun) honour to be bestowed upon the company's very best.
Only 24 men have held the ROH World Title, and only a select few of them have held it on more than one occasion. Despite the reduced numbers to choose from, whittling that list down to five entries was an incredibly difficult task.
The fact that honourable mentions have to go to Kevin Steen, Austin Aries, Tyler Black, Homicide, and Cody tells you that these are the best of the best to have ever held the championship and really made it matter.
5. Jay Lethal
The current ROH World Champion, and second-longest reigning after Samoa Joe, Lethal held the title for an incredible 427 days between June 2015 and August 2016.
In doing so, he returned the main prize in ROH to its rightful place as one of the most sought after championships, and hearkened back to the glory days of Nigel McGuinness' incredible reign in the late noughties.
Defending his title (and the ROH TV Title) in various promotions and numerous countries, he had memorable matches with the likes of Roderick Strong, Jay Briscoe, and AJ Styles.
Furthermore, he showcased the gold on some of the biggest shows - beating Michael Elgin at New Japan's biggest event Wrestle Kingdom 10, as well as overcoming NWA World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima during the G1 Climax.
If you needed any more evidence of Lethal's rightful place on this list, the fact he was entrusted to defend the ROH World Championship at the biggest, most-anticipated indy show ever, 'All In', tells you all you need to know.