Ring Of Honor COO Joe Koff was recently interviewed by Newsday to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Koff talked about booking the G1 Supercard event on WrestleMania weekend next year with New Japan Pro Wrestling, and if he expects retaliation from WWE for booking a show at Madison Square Garden. Here are the highlights:
Booking the G1 Supercard during WrestleMania weekend:
“This was a big decision, and we had to take a look at the risks and the reward. But, really, what it came down to was: Where are we going to run that weekend if we want to run in New York? It’s hard to find a building that can accommodate wrestling in that 6,000 to 10,000 range that’s in the city and that’s not a schlep to get to.
“WWE wasn’t even thinking of using (the Garden on that night). I can’t speak for other organizations and why they do or they don’t use it. It was the right venue for us on that day.”
“I would expect that, as I’ve seen at every other city, on that weekend all of their events are sell-outs… I really believe the people who bought tickets to Madison Square Garden would have bought tickets to Ring of Honor no matter where we were.”
If he expects retaliation from WWE for booking MSG:
“If I’m in their crosshairs, I don’t feel that I’ve ever not been in their crosshairs, but not for anything more than the talent that I have and the opportunity that they see in taking our talent. But I don’t feel any strain on our relationship.”