The Young Bucks Have Signed with... ROH?

The Bucks will be working Ring of Honor
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

The Young Bucks have been the hottest free agents in wrestling ever since being released from their TNA contracts, working dates on per appearance or handshake deals. That paradigm looked to change when on Monday night, the two started teasing a signing on Twitter. This morning, that signing was confirmed to be with Ring of Honor. ROH has been one of the promotions that the Bucks have worked on a handshake with in the past, but now the contract makes them television exclusive. The deal will allow them to work with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and, of course, New Japan Pro Wrestling. NJPW and ROH have a working agreement. However, the team's final non-affiliated dates come for Squared Circle Wrestling's final shows in December.

While the Bucks have allegedly signed the most lucrative deal in ROH history, the announcement comes as a slight personal disappointment. With the Bucks as free agents, their options were completely wide open and led to things like the completely random matches they'd have with the Hardy Boys at places like Northeast Wrestling or even chances of doing one-off dates or short tours with NXT or Lucha Underground. Even signing a full-time contract with LU would have been tantalizing because of the fresh matchups. The Bucks in ROH feels like retreading old ground for a team that has the potential to do so much more.

Additionally, wrestlers who signed exclusive deals with ROH in the last year have fallen into the similar patterns. Moose was the hottest thing in wrestling, but then he signed his ROH deal, and his push went off the rails. Roderick Strong was getting offers from WWE, but he chose ROH and was immediately put into a go-nowhere feud with the intent of enhancing Jay Lethal. Will the same thing happen to the Bucks? I really don't know, but the fear is in the back of my mind as it should be those who haven't been completely enamored with ROH's creative direction lately.

Still though, if the Bucks are still able to work PWG and NJPW, then it's still a huge net positive. Plus, if they're getting the big bucks from Sinclair, it makes sense for them. Still, even though it shouldn't feel strange, ROH being the party to pin the Bucks down and make honest wrestlers out of them is a bit surreal.