Professional wrestling tournament held by Ring of Honor
Survival of the Fittest is a professional wrestling tournament held by Ring of Honor (ROH). The inaugural tournament took place in 2004, and - with exceptions (2008, 2013, 2019–2020, 2022) - has become an annual tradition in ROH ever since.[1]
The tournament setup is based on Maryland Championship Wrestling's Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup, as ROH was to continue the Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup following the shutdown of MCW in 2003. However, following a controversy with ROH's owner in early 2004, MCW dropped their association with Ring of Honor, and ROH renamed the already scheduled tournament "Survival of the Fittest".[2][3][4]
In 2019, it was announced the event would take place on November 9 and 10, but the shows were ultimately cancelled.[5]
Black wrestled ROH World Champion Austin Aries to a sixty-minute time limit draw. Black defeated Aries in a rematch to win the ROH World Championship at the 8th Anniversary Show.
This match was originally scheduled to be a singles match between Walters and Aries, but was changed to a tag team match after Generation Next attacked Walters.
As a result of scoring the victory, Aries advances to the finals.
ROH's eighth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on September 22, 2012 at the Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The tournament was recorded in a single day for Ring of Honor's television show, and aired on a taped delay over the span of several weeks.[1][6][15]
Qualifying match: Adam Cole defeated TaDarius Thomas to advance
Michael Elgin was eliminated by Davey Richards and Jay Lethal
Davey Richards was eliminated by Jay Lethal
2014
ROH's ninth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on November 8, 2014 at the Seagate Convention Center in Toledo, Ohio. The tournament took place over a span of 2 days.
ROH announced the tournament would return in 2021, taking place throughout the month of June on ROH's flagship TV program Ring of Honor Wrestling, and their online show ROH Week by Week.
There were 12 participants competing in six qualifying matches, with the winners advancing to a six-way elimination finals (aired June 26 on Ring of Honor Wrestling) where the winner received an ROH World Championship match at Best in the World.[16]
June 5 Ring of Honor Wrestling - Flamita defeated Rey Horus
June 8 ROH Week by Week - Brian Johnson defeated Sledge
June 12 Ring of Honor Wrestling - Eli Isom defeated Dak Draper
June 15 ROH Week by Week - Chris Dickinson defeated O'Shay Edwards
June 19 Ring of Honor Wrestling - Bandido defeated Bateman
June 22 ROH Week by Week - Rhett Titus defeated Danhausen
Finals:
June 26 Ring of Honor Wrestling - Bandido wins by last eliminating Eli Isom
Order of Elimination:
Bandido pinned Flamita
Rhett Titus pinned Brian Johnson
Chris Dickinson defeated Titus by submission
Bandido pinned Dickinson
Bandido defeated Eli Isom by submission to win the tournament
Note - In late 2021, ROH was sold to Tony Khan, the owner and general manager of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and with that ROH was then effectively absorbed into AEW.
Tony Khan announced a week later on Ring of Honor Wrestling that Survival of the Fittest would return, and be used in crowning a new champion. Qualifying matches took place on ROH Wrestling, leading up to the six-way finals on December 15 at Final Battle, with the winner becoming the new ROH World TV Champion.[17]