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By Alfred Branch, Jr. Ticket broker Cary Silkin’s pro wresting venture Ring of Honor will tape its first pay-per-view special Saturday in New York and head to Japan in July for the first time, as the promotion continues its successful climb up the sports entertainment ladder. Established in 2002, ROH now puts on 40 to 50 shows a year in New York, Hartford, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and other cities with what Silkin calls a “good mix of all kinds” of pro wrestling. Among the famous wrestlers who have passed through the promotion are Matt Hardy and Mick Foley. . . .  |
“It’s been a slow build up, but our crowds have been increasing, which is impressive for a non-televised event,” Silkin said, adding that its matches have been released on DVDs. The pay-per-view is slated to run on the Dish Network, In Demand and TVN, and have the potential to reach 50 million homes. Silkin’s other business is ticket reselling website RaveTix.
Saturday night’s show will be held at the Manhattan Center, 34th and 8th, with tickets selling for $25. The night before, on May 11, ROH will be in Hartford at the Connecticut Expo Center, and tickets are selling for $20 and $25, according to Silkin. The matches, which feature about 30 wrestlers per night, specialize in high-flying, intense pro wrestling.
“Where as the WWE might be 50 percent wrestling and 50 percent storyline, we’re 90 percent wrestling,” Silkin said, adding ROH has also performed in England. “No one feels cheated or bored when they come to a Ring of Honor show.”
The Japan shows will be held in Tokyo and Osaka July 16 and 17. Upcoming U.S. shows include Boston on June 8; Philadelphia, June 9; Dayton, OH, June 22; and Chicago, June 23.
