Published on August 18th, 2020 | by Darren Paltrowitz
0Ring Of Honor Wrestling’s Kenny King & Caprice Coleman On BLM, Why They Work For ROH & More
Ring Of Honor Wrestling Entertainment — more commonly-known as “Ring of Honor” or “ROH” — is one of the top professional companies in the world. The Baltimore, Maryland-based company launched 18 years ago in 2002 and can currently be watched on FITE TV, the FIGHT NETWORK, WATCHCHARGE.com and on hundreds of Sinclair television stations. Simply put, most of wrestling’s biggest stars of the last 2 decades have worked with or for ROH, countless world champions included.
Earlier this week it was announced that Ring Of Honor Wrestling will return to producing new episodes of its weekly television program this month in Maryland. For such, ROH will adhere to a very stringent protocol beyond the regulations set in place by the Maryland State Athletic Commission. Prior to this announcement, the company’s last schedued events were its cancelled 18th Anniversary and Past Vs. Present shows in Las Vegas, as scheduled for March 13th and 14th. These new August 2020 tapings will pick up right where ROH left off, keeping a focus on the well-anticipated ROH Pure Title Tournament, which had been originally scheduled to take place in April 2020.
Per the comprehensive COVID-19 testing protocols being enforced by the Maryland State Athletic Commission upon ROH’s upcoming events, as discussed on the company’s ROHStrong Podcast:
– 2 weeks prior to the event, participating Ring Of Honor talent and referees are required to undergo a NMT (nasal mid-turbinate) molecular PCR swab test with regard to COVID-19 testing.
– Within 3 days of the event, talent and referees will be required to undergo a second NMT molecular PCR swab test. They must be immediately isolated/sequestered after undergoing the second test.
– Separate hotel accommodations and separate eating arrangements will be required for all tournament participants, who must remain isolated until arriving at the August 2020 events to work.
– On the day of the event (or in the case of wrestling activity spanning more than 1 day, on the last day of the individual engaging in competition or participation), talent and referees will be required to undergo a third NMT molecular PCR swab test. The third test is being required for contact tracing being conducted by, and being documented by, the Maryland State Athletic Commission. The commission considers contact tracing to be essential to reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
– All individuals entering the venue must have his or her temperature taken and recorded at the door via an infrared thermometer. No one will be permitted entry into the venue with a temperature reading of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, Ring Of Honor talent and referees included.
Also newsworthy about Ring Of Honor Wrestling is the company presented the inaugural edition of the “ROH Roundtable” last month. Hosted by Ian Riccaboni, the roundtable featured ROH stars Shane Taylor, Jay Lethal, Jonathan Gresham, Kenny King and Caprice Coleman. The group discussed police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the roles of race and racism within wrestling in a candid, must-watch panel; full video of this discussion is embedded below for viewing.
On August 12, 2020, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kenny King and Caprice Coleman via Zoom, as also embedded below. While we briefly spoke about the aforementioned “ROH Roundtable,” we largely focused about why Ring Of Honor is their chosen place of employment after working elsewhere, what is coming for them both in and out of ROH, and life during COVID-19. More on Kenny King and Caprice Coleman can be found by checking out www.twitter.com/KennyKingPb2, www.twitter.com/CapriceColeman, www.twitter.com/ringofhonor, and www.rohwrestling.com.