Ring of Honor pulled out all the stops to make their return to TV tapings something to remember, including bringing in a veteran of WWE.
This past weekend saw Ring of Honor tape their first show since being purchased by AEW President Tony Khan just under a year ago.
The first episode of the ROH tapings will premiere this coming Thursday on March 2.
Tony Chimel
Over the weekend, ROH taped across both Saturday and Sunday, with the second night featuring the ROH debut of Tony Chimel.
Chimel, best known for his time in WWE, served as the master of ceremonies for the event.
Despite being best known as a ring announcer, Chimel will not be resuming that role with Ring of Honor, as ROH veteran Bobby Cruise is still on duty for the show.
Chimel in WWE
Chimel spent 38 years with WWE as a ring announcer before being released from his contract in 2020.
It was Chimel who was the ring announcer for the very first episode of SmackDown in 1999 and would defeat Howard Finkel in a tuxedo match that same year to become the show’s full-time announcer.
Though not a wrestler, Chimel would have the occasional brush with talent, including Mr. Kennedy, who would be irate with how Chimel pronounced his name.
On the December 22, 2006, SmackDown, Chimel’s enthusiastic call for the Boogeyman would catch the attention of the bizarre Superstar, who forced worms into the announcer’s mouth.
In 2015, Chimel transitioned to just announcing at house shows but would appear during Beth Phoenix’s 2017 Hall of Fame speech to deliver his infamous voice-cracking introduction of Edge.
In his later years with WWE, Chimel worked backstage as a production manager and part of the ring crew before his release.