ROH Blocks The Briscoe Brothers From Signing With WWE

[Jack-Hammer]

I ran across an article on pwtorch.com a few minutes ago stating that Ring of Honor has prevented The Briscoes from signing a WWE contract. What's interesting about it is that, if true, it goes against what Jeff Koff, the COO of ROH, said in a recent interview. Koff stated that ROH would not stand in the way of talent that wished to move to a "bigger stage".

"To some people, ROH is the first stop. I'd like to believe our guys are content to wrestle with the ROH brand, strategy, and work, but I wouldn't want to stop them if WWE came calling. That is the pinnacle. This is no different than working AAA ball and the Big Show (Major League Baseball) calls them." At least, that's what Koff said in an interview last month.

Allegedly, there's said to be a lot of frustration and general discontent in the ROH locker room. Much of the frustraion, again allegedly, is aimed at ROH booker Jim Cornette and other issues that stem from the limitations placed on talent to work within the indy scene via ROH contracts.

I'd read that The Briscoes had been given a try out in front of WWE officials and never really heard anything else about it. All things being equal, I can understand ROH wanting to hold onto their top talent. At the same time, this situation with Jay & Mark Briscoe, if true, would indicate that might not be as overly caring about the wants as the company has proclaimed. It just seems like kind of a raw deal for The Briscoe Brothers. They're a well established act in ROH and it looks like they had an opportunity to go somewhere else and make some real money, especially if one of the top officials of ROH says publicly that talent will be allowed to move to greener pastures if an offer comes their way.

 

[Daniel]

It would surprise me if that were true. ROH is exactly what this Koff fellow said it was - a first stop on the way to the bigger stage. They've never had a problem with ROH wrestlers leaving before, and those guys were much bigger than the Briscoes. Guys like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. So yeah, very strange if true.

As for the Briscoe Brothers in WWE, yeah, I'd be down with that. I haven't seen many matches, but they seem like good characters. There's a thread I just saw about WWE hiring more Mick Foleys, and that's what these guys are. They have a natural, down-to-earth spark which the fans could really dig.

 

[aboynameddirt]

While I feel there would be a tremendous hole left in ROH with the absence of the Briscoes, I would be all for them heading to WWE. They would have to water down their characters a little bit, but I think it would work out nicely.

As for the matter at hand, it sounds very strange. I can't imagine why they would hold back the Briscoes from leaving after they just let Hero and Castignoli go, but I'm sure with all the changes currently happening in ROH, it's easily a possibility. I did read a few months back, around the time of the television deal, that they were trying to keep talent more Ring of Honor exclusive. I will certainly be anxious to see how this pans out.

 

[Odisho]

there actually lucky if they can block wrestlers from leaving, ECW lost alot of talent to wwe and wcw, and the most painfull part is that it was right around the time they got a TV deal with TNN. which possibly almost killed them, luckily they still were able to use other wrestlers and even made a few like mark something i forget his name. until paul got bankrupt. But ROH should make sure that dosent happen, because they just got a TV deal and they dont want such a thing happinin to them

 

[Huey]

I'm on both sides of the fence here. I really like ROH, and much of the reason I started watching them was the briscoe brother's youtube clips.

I can understand ROH. They have a contract to honor and a company to protect. I can understand the Briscoe's. This COULD( and it could be a bust) be a life changing experience.

I think the big risk for ROH isn't the briscoe's leaving but what could happen in the locker room if they are "forced" to stay. I enjoy ROH's product, and not to doubt anyone's loyalty, but I think they work so hard because they are looking for the recognition and chance to get into the WWE. If ROH management takes that away the guys may not put as much into it. With the expectations and responsibilities there needs to be reward, and right now ROH can't offer some of the rewards the WWE can offer. If the carrot on the stick isn't the WWE they need to replace it with something pretty good.

 

[midgensa]

If this is in fact going on it does bother me.

I understand ROH wanting to protect itself and continue to put out a solid product ... but they pretty much have to know their place in the pecking order.

In the end this does not make sense because it will keep other fringe talent from wanting anything to do with the ROH. If you have the goods to make it to the WWE, or at least think you do, you will not want to sign with someone who will not let you explore that option.

Just bothers me that they would keep people from their big break. I understand the business reasons, but in the long run I don't even think those are good.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

ROH has a show to run, too, know what I mean? It's tough on the independents to invest in a talent just for one of the bigger guys to swoop in and grab them. When their ROH contracts are up, they can talk with WWE again. Good things come to those who wait, right? As an outsider looking in, I can't speculate on the validity of the report, but I can't help but empathize with ROH somewhat on this one...

There's just a few contingencies attached to that empathy though. Maybe only one. With the signing of the KOW and the emergence of "AirBoom", I had thought we were witnessing the rumored tag team resurrection. It seems like the Division is losing a little steam, so it could have worked out for them to not move to Florida quite yet. Maybe WWE will be ready to shift focus to the Division and give these two another look when they're freed up.

Here's hoping for the best for them, anyway.

One thing I'm curious about, though, is about a supposed "working partnership" between WWE & ROH? I used to follow the WWE Stock ticket pretty regularly and one day I clicked on a link that mentioned such a partnership. I only scanned the article because I had to get back to work, but it astonished me that I hadn't seen it on WrestleZone and it fit into the timeline of Punk becoming champ as well as Bryan being on NXT... pretty wide span of time but anyways.

Since then I've tried to find that article but to no avail which has led me to believe I was hallucinating. Nobody else has seen or heard that, have they? Thanks

 

[d3thRoW]

Not sure how much truth is in this report tbh. Just don't see it really happening like it's being described. The Briscoes themselves have said they were turned down by WWE once for not being 'cosmetically pleasing' enough lol...perhaps somebody reconsidered. Either way I think they are tremendously entertaining and deserve a shot on the big stage sooner rather than later. That being said I question the wwe's ability to showcase them properly without screwing up all the things that are great about them. Hope I'm wrong about that.

 

[Martin Gabriel]

I'm sorry, but if Ring Of Honor is blocking people from going places in their careers, that is a major dick move. I understand the point of wanting to keep your talent in place, but like it says in the article, that's like telling someone on a minor league sports team that they can't go to the majors.

 

[conici]

If ROH is doing this on a "We don't want to lose our talent" attitude then I can only say what the fuck is wrong with ROH trying to stop some of their stars to go to bigger and brighter places its just uncalled for I know they have lost big stars to WWE I.e Punk,Danielson,Black,Hero,Castalongi but why can't they be happy for their talent and let them move on to bigger things
Dick move by ROH not happy

 

[CaptainInsano]

If ROH is doing this on a "We don't want to lose our talent" attitude then I can only say what the fuck is wrong with ROH trying to stop some of their stars to go to bigger and brighter places its just uncalled for I know they have lost big stars to WWE I.e Punk,Danielson,Black,Hero,Castalongi but why can't they be happy for their talent and let them move on to bigger things
Dick move by ROH not happy

That's a horrible attitude to hold toward ROH. They are trying to gain more of the market and want to keep their main stars who have signed a contract with them. Would you have a problem if it was TNA would was blocking signed talent from being signed to WWE? ROH wants to move up and become a bigger federation and they can't do that if their main talent is being signed away. The wrestlers signed a contract with a company, it's that simple and ROH is just making the wrestlers honor their commitment.

 

[trashboy]

Why are people complaining, saying "it's a dick move that ROH is keeping their talent from going to WWE?" Doesn't WWE do basically the same thing with their contracts to keep them from jumping over to TNA? So you should be saying it's a dick move that WWE is keeping talent from jumping to another company as well. They all have contracts and should stick to them, no matter if they're jumping to a bigger and better company. When their contract is up, then don't resign and make the jump. Of course I'd rather the Briscoes go to TNA rather than WWE. WWE could give two craps about tag team wrestling, so they'd just end up breaking them up, releasing one and keeping the other. It'd be a mess, plus they'd get stuck with names like "Miller Cudman" or something

 

[Trill Co$by]

Here's what people aren't getting here... CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Hero, and Claudio are not SOLELY ROH's creations. Yes, they made their marks there and had big impacts... but Punk was getting attention anyways, Daniel Bryan & Hero frequented Japan a lot, and Claudio got most of his exposure and fan base through Chikara.

With the Briscoes, things are different. The Briscoe Brothers are ROH's pet project. Mark and Jay were pretty much thrown to the blacklist. ROH picked them up, gave a 17 yr old Mark a match, and the two homegrown talents of ROH were born. They're THE two people ROH goes to rely on because they know they will deliver. The Briscoes and ROH have made themselves intertwined. So what if ROH wants to protect their investment. In the 70s and 80s, if Flair had tried to leave to WWF, NWA would've put their foot down. If the Horsemen had tried to leave, they would've again put their foot down.

ROH is smart, and like someone mentioned earlier, being a TRUE independent promoter is hard work. ROH has sold tickets, countless of them, putting the Briscoes on as a main attraction just like they did with Kings of Wrestling. And with KoW gone, fans are going to want refunds. Why give fans more reason to go in for a refund? Hold on to Briscoes for their obligatory bookings and then let them go. Tyler Black did it, so why can't Briscoes?

 

[Headman]

I doubt this is true, but in my opinion the Briscoes have done everything they can do in ROH. They've been there since the beginning and honestly it would be wrong to stop them from going somewhere else to make more money. It would also send a really bad message to the locker room if this is a way they treat two guys who have helped carry this company through times of mass exodus and have beaten the hell out of their bodies in the processs.

 

[mral82]

For starters they need to Tone down on all the Bullsh@t Profanity as everytime I heard them talk it's almost 80% swearing. Wrestling has always been Family orientated goin back Generations. Plus they would need work on their Hardcore Holly style of wrestling and tone it down like D-Bry has. We want people to prolong their careers and not dying young or paralyzed. If Jay and Mark can do this then WWE would probably be calling back.

 

[multiverseman.com]

It's amazing how stupid some wrestling fans truly are.

"How could ROH stop them from living their dreams?"

Get the fuck outta here. Their dreams are to be pro wrestlers and ROH gave them that opportunity. You honor your deals, conduct business like businessmen and that's the end of it.

ROH is WWE's competitor. They're nobody's stepping stone. They should believe they put on the best shows in the world and are the place be. Why in the world would you let your talent leave your company because it was their dream to work for the competition.

Some of you guys are bassackwards.

 

[Headman]

It's amazing how stupid some wrestling fans truly are.

"How could ROH stop them from living their dreams?"

Get the fuck outta here. Their dreams are to be pro wrestlers and ROH gave them that opportunity. You honor your deals, conduct business like businessmen and that's the end of it.

ROH is WWE's competitor. They're nobody's stepping stone. They should believe they put on the best shows in the world and are the place be. Why in the world would you let your talent leave your company because it was their dream to work for the competition.

Some of you guys are bassackwards.

Stupid? How about ethical? Ring of Honor doesn't pay these guys a livable wage. The talent under contract with ROH still have to take indy bookings and in some cases real jobs. How is it ethical for Ring of Honor (Especially given their own COO's words) to prevent someone from earning a living doing what they do? Yes, the Briscoes are under contract but is it smart business to block them from moving on up? Or will other indy stars decide not to sign with ROH because they're a possible roadblock on their way to their actual goal? You should really re-think your position, and stop calling people stupid when it is you who doesn't fully understand the ramifications of these alleged actions.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

Stupid? How about ethical? Ring of Honor doesn't pay these guys a livable wage. The talent under contract with ROH still have to take indy bookings and in some cases real jobs. How is it ethical for Ring of Honor (Especially given their own COO's words) to prevent someone from earning a living doing what they do? Yes, the Briscoes are under contract but is it smart business to block them from moving on up? Or will other indy stars decide not to sign with ROH because they're a possible roadblock on their way to their actual goal? You should really re-think your position, and stop calling people stupid when it is you who doesn't fully understand the ramifications of these alleged actions.

The Briscoes knew what sort of payment they were getting when they inked that deal with ROH. Where I come from, you hold your end on any deal you make or you don't make the deal in the first place. The Briscoes have been around for quite some time, so they have been able to make a living wage on the indy circuit.

ROH is a business and The Briscoes are an attraction of theirs. It would be a ******ed move for them to give up one of their draws to their competition. ROH can't "block" somebody from signing with another company, but they can force their talent to honor their side of the agreement.

And for the record, there are plenty of indy wrestlers who would still sign with ROH even if ROH flat out tells them they wont release them from their contract to go to their competition.

 

[Theo Mays]

Can you really blame ROH for wanting to keep hold of two of their top talents? No you can't. The Briscoes are clearly an important part to ROH's success and they will want to keep them around for as long as possible. As for the Briscoes in the WWE, I'd like to see that. I'm not too familiar with their work, but they have good characters and I think would fit the WWE's style. It would certainly help the tag team division, that's for sure. I imagine it would be a similar deal to Tyler Black. If the WWE wants them, let them finish their set bookings and give them the chance to make bigger money in the WWE. ROH has lost stars before and they are still kicking, I imagine they could still continue that today as they have a slew of talent with the likes of Richards, Bennett, Homicide, WGTT, Cole, etc.

 

[TheLoneLegend]

Anyone ever think that RoH Executives could of simply asked the Briscoes and any other talent to hold off from signing with the WWE until they can build "players" up to take their spot?!?!?

Unless they are under a Written Deal there is NOTHING RoH could do to actually prevent them from jumping ship. Like most things with the internet and professional wrestling, I have a feeling this is being blown out of actual proportion to the real story.

 

[suffolkspur]

I really dont know what people are getting upset about. Im no ROH fan but the fact remains they have every right if the report is true to block this move. A legally binding contract was made between ROH and the Briscoes. Both parties knew the terms and conditions of the contract when it was signed and as such the power here is held by ROH. If they want to keep the Briscoes then its their choice much like it is their choice to agree to the Briscoes release if they are happy to do so.

This isn't about the dreams of the Briscoes making it in the big time. Enough of the pathetic semantics

This is, if true a business decision and a perfectly sensible one for ROH to make.

 

[xxxdaniel_ariesxxx]

It would surprise me if that were true. ROH is exactly what this Koff fellow said it was - a first stop on the way to the bigger stage. They've never had a problem with ROH wrestlers leaving before, and those guys were much bigger than the Briscoes. Guys like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. So yeah, very strange if true.

Actually there is a big difference between when Punk and Danielson left ROH and ROH now, and that is that ROH used to be owned by one man, now it is own by a corporation. Sinclair Broadcast Group is a publicly traded company, they have Stockholders to answer to and only care about profit without ant care about what is best for their "Independent Contractors". Also Punk and Danielson were not under contract to ROH when they signed with WWE, so they were free to sign with whoever they wanted.

the Briscoes signed contracts that are legally binding, and I'm assuming that they did so with free will, so neither ROH or Sinclair "stopped" them from accepting contracts with WWE, they did that themselves when they signed with ROH. and I'm sure that if WWE really wanted The Briscoes that bad than they would simply buy out their contracts like they used to do with ECW talent that they wanted.

 

[Hurricanrana Radio]

If ROH ever wants to be taken seriously they need to keep some of their better talent. Contractually they have the right to do this. If every time someone shines in ROH they get a call from the WWE then that really hurts their product. What if they have big plans for someone and now they have to change everything?? They would constantly be changing plans if they keep allowing this to happen. WWE has a minor leagues in FCW. Let them wait til these wrestlers contracts are up

 

[crswcw]

I am happy that ring of honor has step up and took charge because in the past every time somebody gets over in ring of honor some company from Florida or wwe signs them quicker then we can say one more match but I have one question why the bricoses first Chris Hero now the bricoes I'm surprise wwe is signing the three most racists people in the company what about kevin steen or prince nana who would do wonders for kofi

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The more I think about it, the more I'm still just straddling the fence with this.

As some people have pointed out, it does seem perfectly natural that ROH would want to protect their top talent from going elsewhere. I know that it might seem like a dickish thing to do but, at the same time, I can't turn off the part of my brain that looks at things from a realistic perspective. Just because ROH isn't on the same level as WWE doesn't mean that they don't have a bottom line. The ROH officials have a business to run and while their bottom line can't compare to WWE's, that doesn't just render it irrelevant.

On the other end, I can understand people being disappointed with ROH's stance on this, if this all turns out to be accurate that is. If true, ROH officials are saying one thing while actually doing the exact opposite. Nobody likes being lied to no matter the circumstances. Also, the truth of the matter is that none of the ROH talent makes a lot of money. While I'm sure The Briscoe Brothers knew what they were in for in terms of payment when they signed with ROH, it makes you wonder if they were given all the facts before they signed up. Maybe they wouldn't have signed had they known that ROH would, allegedly, not allow them to go to WWE if an offer came their way even though top officials with the company have said otherwise.

If this all does turn out to be true, I don't see any clear cut right or wrong. ROH has to look out for ROH after all, nobody else is going to do it for them, but it's also natural to want to see young guys have an opportunity where they can make a good living doing what they want to do.