ROH Supercard of Honor 2023: Claudio Castagnoli putting new-look promotion on his back
The past year has been an absolute rollercoaster for Claudio Castagnoli – but the Swiss phenomenon is ready to put the revamped Ring Of Honor promotion on his back.
After deciding to leave WWE last February, he ended a long tenure at the sports-entertainment juggernaut, leaving his career at a crossroads with many options on the table.
But when the call came from AEW and ROH boss Tony Khan, the 42-year-old was ready to seize the opportunity and join forces with some close friends.
Castagnoli joined Blackpool Combat Club alongside former world champions Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley and rising star Wheeler Yuta, with the group becoming an instant hit with AEW audiences.
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In the early stages of his run with the company, Castagnoli won his first major singles title of his career and clinched the ROH World Championship title before trading it with the legendary Chris Jericho in the latter stages of the year.
Speak with The sports news Ahead of ROH’s big pay-per-view event at WrestleMania weekend, Castagnoli reflected on moving to a new home, working with Jericho and why the championship means so much to him.
“It’s been fun because we can actually have games on pay-per-view and on TV … most of our games in the past [in WWE] happened in non-televised events,” he said.
“Chris is always evolving, always trying to get better and always changing things up with his character. He has a brilliant mind for wrestling and you kind of have to keep up and it’s a fun challenge.
“Being thrown right in felt great – it kept me on my toes and I’m very happy to have the Ring Of Honor title back. I feel like we have a weekly show now to tell our story… it’s feel different there than AEW.
“Ring Of Honor was kind of in limbo and we didn’t really know it. For me as a champion it was important to be a rock that people can trust and look forward to always having good games and performing.
“You can know that if I am the champion the product will be of high quality and the games will be of the highest quality and I have delivered that.
“I’m very proud of my games and I’m very proud of every single person who comes through that curtain and their achievement.”
Claudio Castagnoli wants to defend the ROH title against Eddie Kingston
There are perhaps no more bitter rivals at either company than the two men set to battle for the ROH World Championship during WrestleMania weekend.
Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston have a genuine hatred for each other that stretches back well over a decade since they’ve worked in the independent scene, including their formative years at ROH.
Asked if he’s worried Kingston could be the man to dethrone him for the title, Castagnoli shrugged and doesn’t think the tough New Yorker has what it takes, the weight of the company on his back to wear.
“I mean, if he wants – I’ll just say it like that,” he laughed.
“Supercard Of Honor is obviously very important, it’s WrestleMania weekend that brings so many people from around the world to one place and this year it’s going to be Los Angeles.
“I’ve always looked forward to Supercard Of Honor… to go as a ROH World Champion, there’s a lot of pressure and there’s a lot of expectation.
“Even with my divided attention, it’s still better than his concentration on one. He just left AEW because I don’t even know… I feel like he has a pattern that just resurfaced. Who knows what will happen to him in Ring Of Honor.
“I just hope I live up to that and Eddie will do whatever the hell Eddie will do.”
What is the ring of honor?
Many fans who may be new to pro wrestling are probably unfamiliar with Ring Of Honor and its turbulent history.
Originally founded in February 2002, the company has been the proving ground for some of the biggest stars in the industry, with the likes of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Seth Rollins all rising to prominence there.
AEW CEO Tony Khan bought ROH over 12 months ago and has completely rejuvenated the promotion – and Castagnoli believes fans from around the world will now have their eyes opened to the future of the business.
“For me, Ring Of Honor has always represented the best wrestling in the ring…if you’re a wrestling fan and just enjoy the wrestling part the most, ROH is the place for you and always has been,” he said The sports news.
“It’s always been the place for new talented guys to make their names – be it many years ago, guys like me, Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe – there’s so many guys.
“It’s always been the proving ground and it’s always been the place to go if you want to solidify yourself as a great wrestler. If you love wrestling, you’ll love ROH and you’ll get the match quality you’ve always been looking for.
“You will find that you will most likely see the next big thing in wrestling in a ROH ring proving today.”
When is ROH Supercard of Honor 2023?
- Date: Friday March 31 | Saturday April 1st
- Start time: 7 p.m. ET | 11pm GMT | 10am GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT
Supercard of Honor takes place on March 31st. The first game will be at 7:00 p.m. ET | instead of 11pm GMT | 10am GMT | 11 a.m. AEDT.
How to watch ROH Supercard of Honor 2023
| country | Date | Channel + live stream (main card) |
| United States | Friday March 31st | BR Live |
| Great Britain | Friday March 31st | FITE.tv |
| Australia | Saturday April 1st | FITE.tv |
The event will be broadcast on BR Live and in traditional pay-per-view formats. Outside of North America, it will also be available on FITE.tv.
Where is the ROH Supercard of Honor 2023?
Supercard of Honor takes place at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. The arena can hold up to 10,000 people.
ROH Supercard of Honor 2023 battle card
- Claudio Castagnoli (c) against Eddie Kingston for the ROH World Title
- Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the ROH Pure Title
- Samoa Joe (c) vs Mark Briscoe for the ROH World TV Title
- Athena (c) vs. Yuka Sakazaki for the ROH Women’s World Title
- The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) vs The Kingdom (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven) vs Aussie Open (Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher) vs Dralistico & RUSH vs Top Flight (Dante Martin and Darius Martin) in a Reach for the Sky ranked match for the ROH World Tag Team Titles
- The Embassy (Brian Cage, KAUN and Toa Liona) (c) vs. AR Fox, Blake Christian and Metalik for the ROHG World Six-Man Tag Team Titles
- Hijo del Vikingo (c) vs Komander for the AAA Mega Title