ROH Survival of the Fittest
Survival of the Fittest is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by Ring of Honor. The inaugural tournament took place in 2004, and, with the exception of 2008, 2013 and 2019, the event has occurred every year since.
Format
Wrestlers compete in a variety of "qualifying" matches, usually either singles matches or tag team matches, with the winner 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.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. However, a few week early the event was cancelled due to poor tickets sales.
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
- 2016 - Bobby Fish
- 2017 - Punishment Martinez
- 2018 - Marty Scurll
Tournament results
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 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
- 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
- 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 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
- Qualifying match: Roderick Strong defeated Brent Albright to advance
- Qualifying match: Chris Hero defeated Karl Anderson to advance
- Qualifying match: Rocky Romero defeated TJ 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
- 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
- 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
- Qualifying match: The Briscoe Brothers defeated The Bravado Brothers 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
- Qualifying match: Adam Cole defeated TaDarius Thomas to advance
- Qualifying match: Davey Richards defeated Mike Bennett to advance
- Qualifying match: Jay Lethal defeated QT 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
- 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 ACH 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
2015