ROH Survival of the Fittest

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.

Format
Wrestlers compete in a variety of "qualifying" matches, usually either singles matches or tag team matches, with the winner(s) of each match advancing to an elimination match where the last remaining competitor would be deemed the Survival of the Fittest winner, and receive a future ROH World Championship match (except the 2023 tournament winner will be crowned ROH World Television Championship).

History
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".

In 2019, it was announced the event would take place on November 9 and 10, but the shows were ultimately cancelled.

List of winners

 * 2004 – Bryan Danielson
 * 2005 – Roderick Strong
 * 2006 – Delirious
 * 2007 – Chris Hero
 * 2009 – Tyler Black
 * 2010 – Eddie Edwards
 * 2011 – Michael Elgin
 * 2012 – Jay Lethal
 * 2014 – Adam Cole
 * 2015 – Michael Elgin (2)
 * 2016 – Bobby Fish
 * 2017 – Punishment Martinez
 * 2018 – Marty Scurll
 * 2021 – Bandido
 * 2023 – Kyle Fletcher

Championship match for winner

 * – Championship victory
 * – Championship match loss
 * – Championship match draw/no contest

2004
ROH's first Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on June 24, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
 * Qualifying match: Mark Briscoe defeated Alex Shelley to advance
 * Qualifying match: Colt Cabana defeated Trent Acid to advance
 * Qualifying match: Generation Next (Austin Aries and Roderick Strong) defeated John Walters and Josh Daniels
 * 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.
 * Qualifying match: Homicide defeated Jay Briscoe to advance
 * Qualifying match: Bryan Danielson defeated Jack Evans to advance
 * Qualifying match: Samoa Joe defeated Matt Stryker to advance
 * Final match: Bryan Danielson defeated Austin Aries, Colt Cabana, Homicide, Mark Briscoe and Samoa Joe in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest
 * Samoa Joe was eliminated by Colt Cabana
 * Colt Cabana was eliminated by Mark Briscoe
 * Mark Briscoe and Homicide eliminated each other by double pinfall
 * Austin Aries was eliminated by Bryan Danielson

2005
ROH's second Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on September 24, 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts.
 * Qualifying match: Jay Lethal defeated Sal Rinauro to advance
 * Qualifying match: Colt Cabana defeated Ricky Reyes to advance
 * Qualifying match: Austin Aries defeated Jimmy Rave by disqualification to advance
 * Qualifying match: Samoa Joe defeated Milano Collection A.T. to advance
 * Qualifying match: Roderick Strong defeated Jerrelle Clark to advance
 * Qualifying match: Christopher Daniels defeated James Gibson to advance
 * Final match:Roderick Strong defeated Austin Aries, Christopher Daniels, Colt Cabana, Jay Lethal and Samoa Joe in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest.
 * Samoa Joe was eliminated by Roderick Strong
 * Christopher Daniels was eliminated by Austin Aries
 * Jay Lethal was eliminated by Roderick Strong
 * Colt Cabana was eliminated by Roderick Strong
 * Austin Aries was eliminated by Roderick Strong

2006
ROH's third Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on October 6, 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio.
 * Qualifying match: Matt Sydal defeated Davey Richards to advance
 * Qualifying match: Delirious defeated Jimmy Rave to advance
 * Qualifying match: Austin Aries defeated Christopher Daniels to advance
 * Qualifying match: The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark) defeated Homicide and Roderick Strong to advance
 * Qualifying match: Bryan Danielson vs. Samoa Joe ended in a 20-minute time limit draw
 * As a result of a draw, neither wrestler advances
 * Final match: Delirious defeated Austin Aries, Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe and Matt Sydal in a Five-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest.
 * Austin Aries was eliminated by Jay Briscoe
 * Jay Briscoe was eliminated by Matt Sydal
 * Mark Briscoe was eliminated by Matt Sydal
 * Matt Sydal was eliminated by Delirious

2007
ROH's fourth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on October 19, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
 * Qualifying match: Roderick Strong defeated Brent Albright to advance
 * Qualifying match: Chris Hero defeated Karl Anderson to advance
 * Qualifying match: Rocky Romero defeated T. J. Perkins to advance
 * Qualifying match: Austin Aries defeated Delirious to advance
 * Qualifying match: Claudio Castagnoli defeated Davey Richards to advance
 * Qualifying match: Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness ended in a 20-minute time limit draw
 * As a result of a draw, neither wrestler advances.
 * Qualifying match: Human Tornado defeated Shane Hagadorn and Tony Kozina
 * This was originally scheduled as a non-tournament match, but turned into one as a result of Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness wrestling to a draw.
 * Survival of the Fittest: Chris Hero defeated Austin Aries, Claudio Castagnoli, Human Tornado, Rocky Romero and Roderick Strong in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest.
 * Human Tornado was eliminated by Chris Hero
 * Rocky Romero was eliminated by Chris Hero
 * Austin Aries was eliminated by Chris Hero
 * Roderick Strong was eliminated by Chris Hero
 * Claudio Castagnoli was eliminated by Chris Hero

2009
ROH's fifth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on October 10, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 * Due to his performance in an ROH World Championship match the night before, ROH Executive Producer Jim Cornette gave Delirious a bye into the finals of the tournament.
 * Qualifying match: Roderick Strong defeated Rhett Titus to advance
 * Qualifying match: Tyler Black defeated Kenny King to advance
 * Qualifying match: Colt Cabana defeated Kevin Steen to advance
 * Qualifying match: Claudio Castagnoli defeated Petey Williams to advance
 * Qualifying match: Chris Hero defeated Kenny Omega to advance
 * Final match: Tyler Black defeated Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, Claudio Castagnoli, Delirious and Roderick Strong in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest.
 * Claudio Castagnoli was eliminated by Colt Cabana
 * Colt Cabana was eliminated by Delirious
 * Delirious was eliminated by Roderick Strong
 * Chris Hero was eliminated by Tyler Black
 * Roderick Strong was eliminated by Tyler Black

2010
ROH's sixth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on November 12, 2010 in Dearborn, Michigan.
 * Qualifying match: Rhett Titus defeated Colt Cabana to advance
 * Qualifying match: Claudio Castagnoli defeated Grizzly Redwood to advance
 * Qualifying match: Kevin Steen defeated Kyle O'Reilly to advance
 * Qualifying match: Adam Cole defeated Steve Corino to advance
 * Qualifying match: Eddie Edwards defeated Chris Hero to advance
 * Qualifying match: Kenny King defeated El Generico to advance
 * Final match: Eddie Edwards defeated Adam Cole, Claudio Castagnoli, Kenny King, Kevin Steen and Rhett Titus in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest
 * Kevin Steen was eliminated by Claudio Castagnoli
 * Adam Cole was eliminated by Claudio Castagnoli
 * Rhett Titus was eliminated by Claudio Castagnoli
 * Claudio Castagnoli was eliminated by Kenny King
 * Kenny King was eliminated by Eddie Edwards

2011
ROH's seventh Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on November 18, 2011 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton, Ohio.
 * Qualifying match: The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark) defeated The Bravado Brothers (Lancelot and Harlem) to advance
 * Qualifying match: Kyle O'Reilly defeated Andy Ridge to advance
 * Qualifying match: Eddie Edwards defeated Mike Bennett to advance
 * Qualifying match: Michael Elgin defeated Adam Cole, Kenny King and Tommaso Ciampa in a Four Corner Survival match to advance
 * Qualifying match: Roderick Strong defeated Rhett Titus to advance
 * Final match: Michael Elgin defeated Eddie Edwards, Jay Briscoe, Kyle O'Reilly, Mark Briscoe and Roderick Strong in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest
 * Jay Briscoe was eliminated by Eddie Edwards
 * Mark Briscoe was eliminated by Eddie Edwards
 * Roderick Strong was eliminated by Eddie Edwards
 * Eddie Edwards was eliminated by Michael Elgin
 * Kyle O'Reilly was eliminated by Michael Elgin

2012
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.
 * Qualifying match: Adam Cole defeated TaDarius Thomas to advance
 * Qualifying match: Davey Richards defeated Mike Bennett to advance
 * Qualifying match: Jay Lethal defeated Q. T. Marshall to advance
 * Qualifying match: Roderick Strong defeated Homicide to advance
 * Qualifying match: Mike Mondo defeated Kyle O'Reilly to advance
 * Qualifying match: Michael Elgin defeated Rhino to advance
 * Final match: Jay Lethal defeated Adam Cole, Davey Richards, Michael Elgin, Mike Mondo and Roderick Strong in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest
 * Mike Mondo was eliminated by Roderick Strong
 * Roderick Strong was eliminated by Adam Cole
 * Adam Cole was eliminated by Michael Elgin
 * 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.
 * Qualifying match: Tommaso Ciampa defeated Will Ferrara to advance
 * Qualifying match: Roderick Strong defeated TaDarius Thomas to advance
 * Qualifying match: Adam Page defeated Cedric Alexander to advance
 * Qualifying match: Adam Cole defeated Delirious to advance
 * Qualifying match: Hanson defeated Jay Lethal to advance
 * Qualifying match: Matt Sydal defeated A. C. H. to advance
 * Final match: Adam Cole defeated Adam Page, Hanson, Matt Sydal, Roderick Strong, and Tommaso Ciampa in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest
 * Roderick Strong was eliminated by Adam Page
 * Adam Page was eliminated by Matt Sydal
 * Matt Sydal was eliminated by Tommaso Ciampa
 * Tommaso Ciampa was eliminated by Adam Cole
 * Hanson was eliminated by Adam Cole

2021
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.

Participants:
 * Rey Horus
 * Flamita
 * Bandido
 * Bateman
 * Dak Draper
 * Eli Isom
 * Brian Johnson
 * Sledge
 * Rhett Titus
 * Danhausen
 * O'Shay Edwards
 * Chris Dickinson

Qualifying matches:
 * 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:


 * 1) Bandido pinned Flamita
 * 2) Rhett Titus pinned Brian Johnson
 * 3) Chris Dickinson defeated Titus by submission
 * 4) Bandido pinned Dickinson
 * 5) 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.

2023
On the November 8, 2023 episode of AEW Dynamite, Samoa Joe, who had held the ROH World Television Championship for a record 574 days, voluntarily vacated the title to concentrate on pursuing the AEW World Championship.

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.

Qualifying matches:
 * November 22 (aired November 30): Komander defeated Gringo Loco
 * November 22 (aired November 30): Dalton Castle defeated Evil Uno
 * December 2 (aired December 7): Kyle Fletcher defeated Gravity
 * December 2 (aired December 7): Lee Johnson defeated Josh Woods
 * December 2 (aired December 7): Lee Moriarty defeated Tracy Williams
 * December 15 (Final Battle Zero Hour): Bryan Keith defeated Jack Cartwheel

Finals:
 * December 15 (Final Battle): Kyle Fletcher won by last eliminating Komander and became the new ROH World Television Champion