Ex-ROH Owner Cary Silkin Compares WWE & AEW to Soap Operas

Today, many of the biggest wrestling stars, like Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, and CM Punk, have their roots in Ring of Honor (ROH), where they built their skills and talents under former owner Cary Silkin. Onward to WWE and AEW, these alumni have all triumphed in a big way, but it all started with ROH, a very important promotion that impacted them enormously.

According to Silkin who was recently interviewed by Irish Wrestling & Entertainment, professional wrestling is like a popular soap opera. “When I watch WWE or AEW, or even when I visit them as I did with AEW a few weeks ago it’s like watching an episode of ‘All My Children,’” Silkin said.

These remarks from Silkin reflect his perception on the changes seen in wrestling over the years, especially how major promotions present their storylines and characters. By comparing it to a soap opera he implies an emphasis on drama and narrative has become synonymous with modern-day wrestling entertainment.

ROH Impact Questioned

Silkin also reminisced about how numerous people who used to work for ROH were affected by its presence in their lives. He wondered if stars such as Samoa Joe, Tyler Black/Seth Rollins, Kevin Steen/Kevin Owens, or Kyle O’Reilly, among others, would have attained an equal amount of success without this platform called ROH.

“I’m happy for everybody that’s, you know, did the Ring of Honor platform. Well, here’s the question: if the Ring of Honor platform didn’t exist, would Samoa Joe, Tyler Black/Seth Rollins, Kevin Steen/Kevin Owens, Kyle O’Reilly, Mark Briscoe, Jay Lethal, etc., have had the success?” Silkin asked himself before immediately responding that they probably would, but noting what the ROH environment entailed during his time there.

Silkin, however, has expressed misgivings concerning ROH since Tony Khan bought the promotion in 2021, despite his love for WWE and AEW. In an interview in November 2023, he expressed his fears about Khan’s management, including the…