It shocked many wrestling fans to see Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries show up at Ring of Honor 16th Anniversary event wearing all the gold “The Belt Collector” had acquired – including his Impact World title. At the event, he declared his desire to add another piece of gold to his collection, a title he’d never won his previous runs with ROH – the ROH World Television Championship. At the time of the challenge, the TV title was held by Kenny King.
From ROH’s press release today:
Before Aries got his shot at the title, Aries watched from the commentary position as his former running buddy Kenny King lost the World Television Championship in controversial fashion to Silas Young before running ringside to aid King who became the target of not only Young but also Beer City Bruiser.
Aries would get an opportunity to face Young and win the World Television Championship in Chicago and seemed to have the Championship won before Senior Referee Todd Sinclair ran to ringside and informed Paul Turner of interference by Kenny King, Beer City Bruiser, and Brian Milonas which negated what appeared to be a Championship victory by Aries.
This has resulted in Aries now heading to the ROH Best In The World PPV next Friday June 29 in Baltimore, Maryland, where he’ll be facing Kenny King in a grudge match.
Austin Aries and Kenny King have history, going all the way back to 2008 with Full Impact Pro and GEAR (Grappling Entertainments Athletic Revolution) in Florida, where they competed against each other in tag matches. The following year in Ring of Honor, they two became tag team partners, engaging in feuds against the likes of The Briscoes, The Young Bucks, Colt Cabana & Tyler Black (Seth Rollins) and The House of Truth. In 2012, they both found themselves in TNA, initially teaming up together. But by 2013, they were fighting each other, many times over contendership for the World Heavyweight Championship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38mN29xBC1M
Years of friendship and bad blood have intertwined, and now the two will renew their rivalry next week at ROH Best In The World.
