AEW/ROH star Shane Taylor spoke with Fightful on a number of topics, including ROH returning to the Hammerstein Ballroom for Final Battle.
Taylor said, “It’s a homecoming. For someone who shocked the world five years ago to win the Ring of Honor Television Championship, World Television Championship, to be the only third black male in the company’s almost 20+ year history to do that. It’s incredible and to now, here we are, Final Battle 2024, back at the Hammerstein. It really does give you that feel, that Ring of Honors headed back to where it should be, and that is the birthplace of innovation, the birthplace of producing badass events and badass pro wrestling.”
On how ROH used to feel like a destination:
“To me, it’s just been par for the course. This is what I do. This is what we do this is what we’ve always done and that is put Ring of Honor at the forefront and continue to make sure that we are one of the most felt presences in ROH, that we will be respected and we will do anything and everything we have to do in order to make sure that people understand that. I think the difference though, right? Ring of Honor prior, felt like a destination. Ring of Honor had a reputation and its champions had a reputation of proving we are the best night in and night out.”
On how ROH champions used to stand for something:
“Whether that be just in a ROH ring or it be outside an ROH ring, even on the independents, Ring of Honor champions stood for something. Ring of Honor championships stood for something. Now, I feel like outside of a few champions like a Lee Moriarty or like an Athena, like a Red Velvet. Ring of Honor championships are passed around like participation trophies.”
You can check out Taylor’s comments in the video below.
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)
