Shane Taylor
Photo Credit: Bill Pritchard

Shane Taylor On What’s Next For Him In 2019, Putting Ring Of Honor On Notice

Shane Taylor took part in a media roundtable interview during G1 Supercard weekend, and talked about how big the event is for Ring Of Honor as a promotion. When asked about the newly announced AAA Lucha Libre event that is set for Madison Square Garden in September, Taylor said his focus is on Ring Of Honor, but hopes AAA has a good show and the access to the storied building will be better for everyone involved.

“I think for us, we’re so worried about what we’re doing, we’re running a race with blinders on. We’re worried about what Ring Of Honor is doing, our performances. If [AAA] comes here after us, great. If they have a great show, fantastic. Our job is to put on the best show that we can, and their job is to do the same thing for them. It’s not a matter of what they are going to do; I hope they have an incredible show and more people can come to Madison Square Garden and show that no one has a monopoly on this building. The more people that get to have that experience, the better it is. Competition is good in every aspect of life, so I welcome it.”

Shane talked about his plans for the rest of the year, saying he still has a long way to go, but he’s ready to not only handle the pressures of a major event such as G1 Supercard, but also the responsibility of leading a company moving forward. When asked if he has anyone specific in his sights, Taylor said everyone should be on notice:

“If you have a championship, be ready. If you’re in any sort of position where Ring Of Honor has laid out the red carpet for you, be ready. It’s no secret, especially if you watch the Baltimore match, the winner of the match with Marty Scurll and myself should have been in the triple threat ladder match [at G1 Supercard]. I beat Marty Scurll, and yet Ring Of Honor made sure, Todd Sinclair made sure to come down and reverse the decision because Shane Taylor couldn’t possibly be in the main event at Madison Square Garden. That’s not what’s best for business, right? Wrong.

I’ve had a laser focus since Baltimore. I’ve even sort of secluded myself away because I wasn’t in the mindset to deal with anything yet, because in my opinion they stole the main event, they stole my chance at the Ring Of Honor World Championship. I’m going to make sure at some point in time that they pay for that. Nobody steals from me.”

Read More: Matt Taven On Proving ROH Wrong With Title Win; Says Jay Lethal Deserves A Rematch

Why does he feel like he went from being under appreciated to now being slighted? What else can he do to stop that?

“The thing is, I’m not in a position to prevent it from happening, but I can damn sure be in a position to make them pay for it for happening. I was a guy that was brought here with no fanfare. There was no hype, no video packages, none of that. I didn’t come in as anybody’s boy, I didn’t come in as anybody’s favorite or their project. I came in as me, and the entire time I’ve been here, I’ve been proving that not only am I the present of ROH, but I’m the future. Now the rest of the world is starting to catch up, the rest of the world is starting to get it. When you watch my matches with [Jeff] Cobb, everybody wants to say ‘oh you’ve progressed’—no, I’ve always been this guy. I’ve always been this good, but now you’re starting to see it. Now I’m not in a ten man tag, it’s just me, and that scares a lot of people. I’m unpredictable; they can’t control what I think, they can’t control what I say. I’m not the corporate guy. I don’t fit the image that they want to relay to you guys, but that’s fine, I don’t have to. All I have to do is continue to do what I know I have to do and knock as many people out in the process as it’s going to take to gain more respect.”

Ring Of Honor is in Pittsburgh this Saturday for Steel City Excellence, followed by Masters Of The Craft in Columbus on Sunday.

Read More: Ring Of Honor Recruitment Combine Opens Its Doors For Women Wrestlers

TRENDING