Originally Seen -- December 4th, 2003
While Big Rob’s Backstage B.S. is your constant source for up-to-date insider info on the wrestling scene, I, Big Rob, will also contribute special articles to the drivel known as Hachland. And this is one such article.
When Ring of Honor runs their next show on December 27th, it will be run at the Philadelphia Armory, marking the first RoH show run in Philadelphia outside of the Murphy Rec Center. This is a huge event for RoH, as it marks a growth in the company, and another step towards asserting their status as the best independent federation in pro wrestling today.
It is amazing how huge RoH has gotten in only a little less than two years. I was able to attend the second RoH show ever, The Round Robin Challenge. This was, without a doubt, the best wrestling show I had ever attended. Every match was great in its own right, and the Round Robin finals, between Low Ki and American Dragon Bryan Danielson, was without a doubt the best match I personally have ever seen. Both of these men are exemplary performers, and both gave their all, not only during this match, but also in each of their singles contests with arguably the best independent wrestler of the last decade, Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels.
Now, the attendance of this show was that of a typical independent wrestling show. Being that the building was a rec center, there were no grandstands. Around the ring on all four sides were three rows of chairs with each row being twenty chairs across. Doing the simple math 20 chairs by three rows by four sections (20 x 4 x 3), with each chair being full, there were about 240 people in these "reserved seats". The rest of the audience was "general admission", and there was legitimately about 50-100 G.A. people, so the full attendance was in the neighborhood of 300 people, pretty good for an independent federation running only its second show with no T.V.
Compare this to the last RoH show I attended with the infamous Hach, in September in the Boston area at a local high school. This time the "reserved seating" was still four rows, so there were about 320 people in the "reserved" seating. This was in a high school gym with bleachers on one side, and there were legitimately about 300 people in the bleachers, making the attendance at this show about 600 people.
In addition to the growth of crowds in the northeast, RoH has also run shows in Maryland, and Ohio, and made an appearance in England, in addition to a plethora of RoH talent making appearances in Japan and the RoH title being defended over seas as well.
As RoH approaches its two year anniversary, it has obviously grown by leaps and bounds. The future seems limitless for the best indy promotion on the scene today.
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