John Bedoya

Legendary...for 645 days and through 29 successful title defenses, that is just one of many words that describes the ROH World Title reign of Samoa Joe. Unstoppable...that is what Joe proved to be as he barreled through one challenger after another. Homicide, Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Paul London, an d even CM Punk, not one of them were able to stop the onslaught of the man who elevated the ROH Title first into a World Title and then into the most prestigious championship in professional wrestling today. Samoa Joe was a true one man wrecking crew as he demolished his opponents with a mix of brutality and finesse that will likely never be touched by any other warrior.

Ring of Honor began 2003 by entering into new territory and ended it with some of the best wrestlers from Japan gracing the ring, and in-between firmly established ROH as the premier wrestling company on the planet. Whether it be in Strong Style competition or high-flying exhibitions, tag team battles or in championship bouts, Ring of Honor proved itself the home of true no limits wrestling.

Phenomenal. That is the one word that has defined AJ Styles wrestling career and, without a doubt, his tenure in Ring of Honor Wrestling. From the day AJ first came to ROH for his debut match against Low Ki, he wowed the fans with his own unique blend of high-flying wrestling and hard-hitting strikes. From 2002 until his temporary departure in 2004, AJ Styles engaged in one spectacular bout after another against opponents the likes of Christopher Daniels, Bryan Danielson, The Briscoes, not to mention his instant classic agaisnt Paul London at 'Night of the Grudges'. Just as AJ made history by being crowned the first ROH Pure Champion, he was forced to leave Ring of Honor but returned after a year away, better than ever before, to plunge into a heated rivalry with former protege Jimmy Rave.

2002 marked the birth of something special in professional wrestling, something that took the best wrestlers from across the country ,brought them all into one place, and allowed them to compete to the absolute best of their abilities. That something was Ring of Honor and this is a look at the bouts that started it all!

In 2002, ROH was founded with several precepts in mind: sportsmanship, respect, and, of course, honor. These ideas were expressed in the Code of Honor and that code was embodied by a handshake that preceded and followed each match. Enter Christopher Daniels, the man who declared from day one that he would not follow such a code, that he rejected those ideals, and as he built a Prophecy around him, worked to decimate what the code stood for. Whether he was facing Bryan Danielson & Low Ki in the first ever main event or Samoa Joe in a World Title Challenge, Daniels denied the handshake with every fiber of his being. Yet with a forced absence and battles against the likes of Claudio Castagnoli and CM Punk, things changed...

Volume One, matches 100-47.

ROH Glory by Honor was the first annual Glory By Honor event held by Ring of Honor. It took place on October 5, 2002 at the Murphy Recreation Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

American Dragon vs Low Ki vs Christopher Daniels / Super Crazy vs Eddy Guerrero / Michael Shane and Oz vs Spanky and Ikaika Loa / Joel Maximo vs Josh Maximo vs Amazing Red vs Quiet Storm vs Chris Divine vs Brian XL / The Boogie Knights vs The Natural Born Sinners / Xavier vs Scoot Andrews / Jay Briscoe vs Amazing Red / Da Hit Squad vs The Christopher Street Connection

Night of Champions was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on March 22, 2003 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Ring of Honor Wrestling returns from the Rex Plex in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Field of Honor tournament continues, the tag team titles are on the line, and AJ Styles and Bryan Danielson clash in a number one contenders match.

Crowning a Champion was a wrestling show held by Ring of Honor. It took place on July 27, 2002 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The shows main event featured Christopher Daniels, Doug Williams, Low Ki and Spanky competing in a one-hour Iron Man match to become the first ROH Champion. The four earned the right to compete for the title by winning their respects brackets in the Road to the Title tournament. The rules for the match was that for every pin and submission a wrestler scored, they would gain two points, but if they were defeated or submitted, they would lose one point.

Unscripted was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on September 21, 2002 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Ring of Honor presents their final event from the Murphy Recreation Center on September 20, 2003.

Honor Invades Boston was a wrestling show held by Ring of Honor. It took place on August 24, 2002 at the Americal Civic Center in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Honor Invades Boston was the first ROH show to take place outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Revenge on the Prophecy was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on January 11, 2003 in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.

Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on August 16, 2003 in Fairfield, Connecticut.

ROH Wrestling invades Cambridge Massachusetts for a great night of action!

All-Star Extravaganza was a wrestling show held by Ring of Honor. It took place on November 9, 2002 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The shows main event featured Steve Corino and Low Ki taking on Shinjiro Ohtani and Masato Tanaka on tour from Pro Wrestling ZERO1.

Ring of Honor closes out their first year with Final Battle on December 28, 2002 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Empire State Showdown was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on October 25, 2003 at the Salmon Creek Country Club in Spencerport, New York.

At Our Best was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on March 13, 2004 at the Rex Plex in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

ROH closes out 2003 with a bang, presenting their second annual Final Battle event.

Abdullah the Butcher makes his first appearance in Ring of Honor in a brutal Bunkhouse tag team match, a #1 contender's tournament is held, and more during this action-packed event.

Ring of Honor celebrates their first anniversary with an action-packed card.

Road to the Title was a wrestling show held by Ring of Honor. It took place on June 22, 2002 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show featured a sixteen-man tournament, split into four brackets. The winner of each bracket would compete in a one-hour Iron Man match on July 27, with the winner becoming the first ROH Championship. Ring of Honor brought in several new talent to compete in the tournament, such as Jerry Lynn and British wrestlers Jody Fleisch, Jonny Storm and Doug Williams.

Night of Appreciation was a wrestling shows held by Ring of Honor. It took place on April 27, 2002 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show was held in honor of Eddy Guerrero, who was making his second and final appearance before returning to World Wrestling Entertainment.

ROH Tradition Continues features Jay Briscoe challenging Samoa Joe for the ROH World Title, and AJ Styles facing off with CM Punk.

The Conclusion was a wrestling event promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on November 28, 2003 at the Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Round Robin Challenge was a wrestling show held by Ring of Honor. It took place on March 30, 2002 at the Murphy Recreational Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show featured a round robin tournament between Low Ki, ”American Dragon” Bryan Danielson and Christopher Daniels.

3PW Legends Collide was a wrestling show held by Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling. It took place on March 29, 2003 at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.