Mike Bennett: “Ring Of Honor Built What Is Now Professional Wrestling,” Comments On Backstage Culture

Mike Bennett talks about what has changed at Ring of Honor since he left in 2015.

Speaking with Spencer Love of Love Wrestling, the ROH Star was asked if he noticed anything different about the company since his return, specifically, the culture and mindset of the wrestlers. He replied that production has taken a huge step forward, but that as far as the performers go, everything has remained the same. Bennett believes ROH is largely responsible for the current makeup of the industry and that they want to be at the forefront yet again. 

“As far as the culture, and as far as the mindset, it’s 100% the same. Ring of Honor wrestlers always have that mindset of ‘we’re at the forefront of professional wrestling.’ To me, everything that’s professional wrestling now, started at Ring of Honor. You look at the main roster at WWE, it’s all Ring of Honor guys. You look over at AEW, it’s all Ring of Honor guys. Ring of Honor built what is now professional wrestling. So what I think is the mindset now, at least this is the mindset for me and it seems to be with a lot of the younger guys too, is ‘how are we going to be the forefront again? What do we need to do?’ They’re doing it. They did it with the Pure Tournament, they’re doing it with how they’re filming promos. It’s bringing in this sport element to it that isn’t really done in the States. WWE doesn’t really do sport, doesn’t even consider wrestling, like it’s not even really a wrestling company anymore. AEW does it to an extent, but they also mix in everything with it. With Ring of Honor and the Pure Tournament, is they’ve been able to take something that I think is missing from wrestling and that is the competitive nature of it.”

Bennett argues that if you are able to make people invest in wrestling they way they would any other sport, you may start reaching a demographic that had not previously been touched upon. He thinks that people are getting sick of the hokeyness. 

After working for ROH from 2008-2015, Bennett made stops in New Japan Pro Wrestling and IMPACT before debuting in WWE at Money in the Bank 2017. After a less-than-memorable run, Mike and his wife, Maria Kanellis, were released on April 15, 2020. He returned to ROH in November and is currently teaming with Matt Taven.

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