ROH Pure Champion Josh Woods debuts at AEW Dark tapings
Image: JJ Williams
Ring of Honor Pure Champion Josh Woods made his AEW debut Friday at the company’s Dark tapings at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
During the second set of tapings, Woods lost to Shawn Spears and had just one match on the show. Woods’ former rostermate and ROH mainstay Jay Lethal recently signed a full-time deal with AEW.
Woods will soon be a free agent as ROH goes into a three-month hiatus starting in January 2022 as they reassess how to approach the future with a hopeful return for April. All contracted talent will be released as ROH is looking to move toward using non-contracted talent upon their return.
It’s assumed he will be part of ROH’s Final Battle pay-per-view later this month.
A standout amateur collegiate wrestler, Woods defeated Jonathan Gresham for the Pure title at September’s Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view. The 2017 Top Prospect Tournament winner has been with ROH since 2016, spending nearly two years in WWE NXT prior to that.
The 32-year-old had his first match outside ROH since 2019 on a late-November indie show against Rickey Shane Page where he defended the Pure title.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.