ROH Survival of the Fittest
Professional wrestling tournament held by Ring of Honor / pay-per-view event series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Survival of the Fittest is a professional wrestling tournament originally held by Ring of Honor (ROH), and later also by sister promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The inaugural tournament took place in 2004 and, with exceptions (2008, 2013, 2019–2020, 2022), has become an annual tradition in ROH ever since.[1] In 2026, ROH's sister promotion AEW utilized the match for the first time.
Format
Originally established for the American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), 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 is deemed the Survival of the Fittest winner, and receives a future ROH World Championship match (except the 2023 and 2024 tournaments which were for the ROH World Television Championship).[1] In 2026, the tournament was utilized by sister promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) to determine the next holder of the women's AEW TBS Championship.[2]
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".[3][4][5]
In 2019, it was announced the event would take place on November 9 and 10, but the shows were ultimately cancelled.[6]
In 2022, ROH was acquired by Tony Khan, the president and owner of AEW. After the women's AEW TBS Championship was vacated in late May 2026, AEW introduced the Survival of the Fittest match to determine the title's next holder, culminating on the July 1 episode of AEW Dynamite.[2]
List of winners
ROH
- 2004 – Bryan Danielson[1]
- 2005 –Roderick Strong[1]
- 2006 – Delirious[1]
- 2007 – Chris Hero[1]
- 2009 – Tyler Black[1]
- 2010 – Eddie Edwards[1]
- 2011 – Michael Elgin[1]
- 2012 – Jay Lethal[7]
- 2014 –Adam Cole
- 2015 – Michael Elgin (2)
- 2016 – Bobby Fish
- 2017 – Punishment Martinez
- 2018 –Marty Scurll
- 2021 –Bandido
- 2023 – Kyle Fletcher
- 2024 July – Atlantis Jr.
- 2024 December – Komander
- 2025 – Bandido (2)
- 2026 – Athena
AEW
- 2026 – Hikaru Shida[8]
Championship match for winner
- Men's
- – Championship victory
- – Championship match loss
- – Championship match draw/no contest
- – Vacated championship match victory
- Women's
- – Women's championship victory
- – Women's championship match loss
- – Women's championship match draw/no contest
- – Women's vacated championship match victory
| # | Winner | Event | Year | Championship match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Danielson | Midnight Express Reunion | 2004 | Danielson unsuccessfully challenged Samoa Joe for the ROH World Championship. |
| 2 | Roderick Strong | This Means War | 2005 | Strong unsuccessfully challenged Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Championship. |
| 3 | Delirious | Honor Reclaims Boston | 2006 | Delirious unsuccessfully challenged Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Championship. |
| 4 | Chris Hero | Glory By Honor IV - Night 1 | 2007 | Hero unsuccessfully challenged Nigel McGuinness for the ROH World Championship. |
| 5 | Tyler Black | Final Battle | 2009 | Black wrestled ROH World Champion Austin Aries to a sixty-minute time limit draw. Black defeated Aries in a rematch to win the ROH World Championship at the 8th Anniversary Show. |
| 6 | Eddie Edwards | Manhattan Mayhem IV | 2010 | Edwards defeated Roderick Strong to win the ROH World Championship. |
| 7 | Michael Elgin | Showdown in the Sun - Night 2 | 2011 | Elgin unsuccessfully challenged Davey Richards for the ROH World Championship. |
| 8 | Jay Lethal | 11th Anniversary Show | 2012 | Lethal unsuccessfully challenged Kevin Steen for the ROH World Championship. |
| 9 | Adam Cole | Final Battle | 2014 | Cole unsuccessfully challenged Jay Briscoe in a Fight Without Honor for the ROH World Championship. |
| 10 | Michael Elgin (2) | All Star Extravaganza VIII | 2015 | Elgin unsuccessfully challenged Adam Cole for the ROH World Championship. |
| 11 | Bobby Fish | Manhattan Mayhem | 2016 | Fish unsuccessfully challenged Adam Cole for the ROH World Championship. |
| 12 | Punishment Martinez | Ring of Honor Wrestling (February 10, 2018) | 2017 | Martinez unsuccessfully challenged Dalton Castle for the ROH World Championship. |
| 13 | Marty Scurll | G1 Supercard | 2018 | Scurll challenged Jay Lethal in a three-way ladder match for the ROH World Championship, also involving Matt Taven. Taven won the match. |
| 14 | Bandido | Best in the World | 2021 | Bandido defeated Rush to win the ROH World Championship. |
| 15 | Kyle Fletcher | Final Battle | 2023 | Survivor of the Fittest for the vacant ROH World Television Championship. Fletcher defeated Komander, Lee Moriarty, Bryan Keith, Dalton Castle and Lee Johnson to win the championship. |
| 16 | Atlantis Jr. | Death Before Dishonor | 2024 | Survivor of the Fittest for the ROH World Television Championship. Atlantis Jr. defeated Shane Taylor, Brian Cage, Lee Johnson, Lio Rush, and Johnny TV to retain the championship. |
| 17 | Komander | Final Battle | 2024 | Survivor of the Fittest for the ROH World Television Championship. Komander defeated defending champion Brian Cage, Willie Mack, Mark Davis, AR Fox. and Blake Christian to win the championship. |
| 18 | Bandido (2) | Final Battle | 2025 | Survivor of the Fittest for the ROH World Championship. Bandido defeated Sammy Guevara, Blake Christian, The Beast Mortos, Hechicero, and Komander to retain the championship. |
| 19 | Athena | Supercard of Honor | 2026 | Defeated Maya World, Trish Adora, Yuka Sakazaki, Billie Starkz and Zayda Steel to retain the ROH Women's World Championship in the first ever Women's Survival of the Fittest Match in ROH history. |
| 20 | Hikaru Shida | AEW Dynamite | 2026 | Defeated Maika, Harley Cameron, Persephone, Queen Aminata, and Kris Statlander in AEW's first-ever Survival of the Fittest match to win the vacant AEW TBS Championship. |
Tournament results
2004
ROH's first Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on June 24, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[4][9]
- 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
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samoa Joe | Colt Cabana | Pinned with a sunset flip | 15:22 |
| 2 | Colt Cabana | Mark Briscoe | Pinned after a shooting star press | 17:06 |
| 3 | Homicide | Mark Briscoe | Both men pinned each other | 19:05 |
| 4 | Mark Briscoe | Homicide | ||
| 5 | Austin Aries | Bryan Danielson | Submitted to an Elevated Boston crab | 42:28 |
| Winner | Bryan Danielson | N/a | ||
2005
ROH's second Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on September 24, 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts.[9][10]
- 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.
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samoa Joe | Roderick Strong | Pinned after Daniels hit Joe with the Best Moonsault Ever | 13:57 |
| 2 | Christopher Daniels | Austin Aries | Pinned with a sunset flip | 19:12 |
| 3 | Jay Lethal | Roderick Strong | Pinned after Death by Roderick | 31:23 |
| 4 | Colt Cabana | Pinned after a pildedriver | 35:51 | |
| 5 | Austin Aries | Submitted to the Stronghold | 50:30 | |
| Winner | Roderick Strong | N/a | ||
2006
ROH's third Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on October 6, 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio.[9][11]
- 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.
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Aries | Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe | Pinned after a Doomsday Device | 11:17 |
| 2 | Jay Briscoe | Matt Sydal | Pinned with a roll-up | 19:04 |
| 3 | Mark Briscoe | Pinned after the Shooting Sydal Press | 23:06 | |
| 4 | Matt Sydal | Delirious | Submitted to the Cobra Stretch | 34:51 |
| Winner | Delirious | N/a | ||
2007
ROH's fourth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on October 19, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.[9][12]
- 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.
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Human Tornado | Chris Hero | Pinned after the Hero's Welcome | 3:58 |
| 2 | Rocky Romero | Pinned after Aries hit Romero with a 450° splash | 13:32 | |
| 3 | Austin Aries | Pinned with a roll-up | 15:38 | |
| 4 | Colt Cabana | Pinned after the Hero's Welcome | 35:51 | |
| 5 | Claudio Castagnoli | Passed out in the Hangman's Clutch | 50:30 | |
| Winner | Chris Hero | N/a | ||
2009
ROH's fifth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on October 10, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana.[9][13]
- 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.
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claudio Castagnoli | Colt Cabana | Pinned after Hero hit Castagnoli with a rolling elbow | 23:00 |
| 2 | Colt Cabana | Delirious | Pinned with a roll-up | 23:05 |
| 3 | Delirious | Roderick Strong | Pinned after the Sick Kick | 24:59 |
| 4 | Chris Hero | Tyler Black | Pinned with God's Last Gift | 28:38 |
| 5 | Roderick Strong | Pinned after the Avada Kedavra | 39:36 | |
| Winner | Tyler Black | N/a | ||
2010
ROH's sixth Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on November 12, 2010 in Dearborn, Michigan.[9][14]
- 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
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Steen | Claudio Castagnoli | Pinned after a bicycle kick | 0:08 |
| 2 | Adam Cole | Pinned after a lariat | 9:19 | |
| 3 | Rhett Titus | Pinned after a pop-up European uppercut | 12:18 | |
| 4 | Claudio Castagnoli | Kenny King | Pinned after the Royal Flush | 14:23 |
| 5 | Kenny King | Eddie Edwards | Submitted to an Achilles lock | 16:12 |
| Winner | Eddie Edwards | N/a | ||
2011
ROH's seventh Survival of the Fittest tournament took place on November 18, 2011 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton, Ohio.[15][16]
- 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
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jay Briscoe | Eddie Edwards | Pinned after Die Hard | 18:21 |
| 2 | Mark Briscoe | Submitted to a dragon sleeper | 18:37 | |
| 3 | Roderick Strong | Pinned with a schoolboy | 20:41 | |
| 4 | Eddie Edwards | Michael Elgin | Pinned after a spinning back fist / lariat combo | 20:58 |
| 5 | Kyle O'Reilly | Pinned after the Elgin Bomb | 33:19 | |
| Winner | Michael Elgin | N/a | ||
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.[1][7][17]
- 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
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Mondo | Roderick Strong | Pinned after the Sick Kick | 4:49 |
| 2 | Roderick Strong | Adam Cole | Pinned after a superkick | 6:41 |
| 3 | Adam Cole | Michael Elgin | Pinned after the Elgin Bomb | 7:32 |
| 4 | Michael Elgin | Jay Lethal and Davey Richards | Double pinned after both men hit him with a Buzzsaw Kick | 13:32 |
| 5 | Davey Richards | Jay Lethal | Pinned after the Lethal Injection | 21:26 |
| Winner | Jay Lethal | N/a | ||
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
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roderick Strong | Adam Page | Pinned with a roll-up | 17:08 |
| 2 | Adam Page | Matt Sydal | Pinned after the Shooting Sydal Press | 21:10 |
| 3 | Matt Sydal | Tommaso Ciampa | Pinned after Project Ciampa | 31:13 |
| 4 | Tommaso Ciampa | Adam Cole | Pinned after Michael Elgin hit Ciampa with a steel chair | 32:03 |
| 5 | Hanson | Pinned after the Florida Keys | 40:50 | |
| Winner | Adam Cole | N/a | ||
2015
2016
2017
2018
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.
Twelve participants competed in six qualifying matches, with the winners advancing to a six-way elimination final. The winner received an ROH World Championship match at Best in the World.[18]
- Qualifying match: June 5 Ring of Honor Wrestling – Demonic Flamita defeated Rey Horus to advance
- Qualifying match: June 8 ROH Week by Week – Brian Johnson defeated Sledge to advance
- Qualifying match: June 12 Ring of Honor Wrestling – Eli Isom defeated Dak Draper to advance
- Qualifying match: June 15 ROH Week by Week – Chris Dickinson defeated O'Shay Edwards to advance
- Qualifying match: June 19 Ring of Honor Wrestling – Bandido defeated Bateman to advance
- Qualifying match: June 22 ROH Week by Week – Rhett Titus defeated Danhausen to advance
- Final match: June 26 Ring of Honor Wrestling – Bandido defeated Brian Johnson, Chris Dickinson, Demonic Flamita, Eli Isom, and Rhett Titus in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demonic Flamita | Bandido | Pinned with a roll-up | 4:50 |
| 2 | Brian Johnson | Rhett Titus | Pinned after the King Kong Knee Drop | 12:56 |
| 3 | Rhett Titus | Chris Dickinson | Submitted to a kneebar | 13:27 |
| 4 | Chris Dickinson | Bandido | Pinned after the 21-Plex | 18:56 |
| 5 | Eli Isom | Submitted to an omoplata | 23:51 | |
| Winner | Bandido | N/a | ||
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 ROH Honor Club TV 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 Television Champion. This was the first Survival of the Fittest where a championship was on the line rather than an opportunity at one, and the first where it was contested for the ROH World Television Champions rather than the ROH World Championship.[19]
- Qualifying match: November 22 ROH Honor Club TV (aired November 30) – Komander defeated Gringo Loco to advance
- Qualifying match:November 22 ROH Honor Club TV (aired November 30) – Dalton Castle defeated Evil Uno to advance
- Qualifying match: December 2 ROH Honor Club TV (aired December 7) – Kyle Fletcher defeated Gravity to advance
- Qualifying match: December 2 ROH Honor Club TV (aired December 7) – Lee Johnson defeated Josh Woods to advance
- Qualifying match: December 2 ROH Honor Club TV (aired December 7) – Lee Moriarty defeated Tracy Williams to advance
- Qualifying match: December 15 Final Battle Zero Hour – Bryan Keith defeated Jack Cartwheel to advance
- Final match: December 15 Final Battle – Kyle Fletcher defeated Bryan Keith, Dalton Castle, Komander, Lee Johnson, and Lee Moriarty in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest and the vacant ROH World Television Championship
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Johnson | Lee Moriarty | Submitted to the Border City Stretch | 8:46 |
| 2 | Dalton Castle | Pinned after The Fang | 11:20 | |
| 3 | Lee Moriarty | Bryan Keith | Pinned after the Emerald Tiger Driver | 15:38 |
| 4 | Bryan Keith | Kyle Fletcher | Pinned after the Grimstone | 16:52 |
| 5 | Komander | 25:54 | ||
| Winner | Kyle Fletcher | N/a | ||
2024 July
On July 25, Tony Khan announced a Survival of the Fittest match for the following day's Death Before Dishonor event, where ROH World Television Champion Atlantis Jr. would defend his title against Brian Cage, Johnny TV, Lee Johnson, Lio Rush, and Shane Taylor. This would be the first Survival of the Fittest where none of the participants had qualifying matches and the first in which a championship was defended.[20]
- Atlantis Jr. (c) defeated Brian Cage, Johnny TV, Lee Johnson, Lio Rush, and Shane Taylor in a Six-Way Elimination match to win Survival of the Fittest and retain the ROH World Television Championship
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method of elimination | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shane Taylor | Lio Rush | Pinned after The Final Hour | 9:56 |
| 2 | Lio Rush | Lee Johnson | Pinned after the Big Shot Drop | 11:32 |
| 3 | Lee Johnson | Brian Cage and Johnny TV | Double pinned after a powerslam / springboard kick combo | 15:05 |
| 4 | Johnny TV | Brian Cage | Pinned after the Drill Claw | 18:39 |
| 5 | Brian Cage | Atlantis Jr. | Pinned with a victory roll | 19:12 |
| Winner | Atlantis Jr. (c) | N/a | ||
2024 December
On December 13, ROH announced another Survival of the Fittest match for the ROH World Television Championship, this time for Final Battle. Here, champion Brian Cage would defend the title against Willie Mack, Mark Davis, Komander, AR Fox, and Blake Christian.[21]
- Komander defeated Brian Cage (c), Willie Mack, Mark Davis, AR Fox, and Blake Christian in a Six-Way Elimination match to win the ROH World Television Championship.
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method of elimination | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willie Mack | Brian Cage | Pinned after the Tornado Claw | 9:29 |
| 2 | AR Fox | Pinned after an avalanche powerbomb | 13:26 | |
| 3 | Brian Cage (c) | Mark Davis | Pinned after a piledriver | 16:26 |
| 4 | Mark Davis | Blake Christian | Pinned after a low blow | 17:01 |
| 5 | Blake Christian | Komander | Pinned after Cielito Lindo | 25:18 |
| Winner | Komander | N/a | ||
2025
On November 27, Tony Khan announced that, for the first time, the ROH World Championship would be contested for in a Survival of the Fittest match at Final Battle. The champion, Bandido, would defend the title against Blake Christian, Hechicero, Komander, Sammy Guevara, and The Beast Mortos.[22]
- Bandido (c) defeated Blake Christian, Hechicero, Komander, Sammy Guevara, and The Beast Mortos in a Six-Way Elimination match to retain the ROH World Championship.
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sammy Guevara | Komander | Pinned after Cielito Lindo | 11:24 |
| 2 | The Beast Mortos | Hechicero | Pinned after a headscissors driver | 13:00 |
| 3 | Komander | Blake Christian | Pinned after the Lethal Injection | 15:24 |
| 4 | Blake Christian | Bandido | Pinned with a sunset flip | 20:38 |
| 5 | Hechicero | Pinned after a poison rana | 27:53 | |
| Winner | Bandido (c) | N/a | ||
2026 May
At the April 6 taping of ROH Honor Club TV, Tony Khan announced the first-ever women’s Survival of the Fittest tournament for Supercard of Honor. Five qualifying matches took place at the taping, which would air at a later date, and the winners would go onto the final to challenge Athena for the ROH Women's World Championship.[23][24][25]
- Qualifying match: April 6 ROH Honor Club TV (aired April 17) – Maya World defeated Robyn Renegade to advance
- Qualifying match: April 6 ROH Honor Club TV (aired April 17) – Trish Adora defeated Hyan to advance
- Qualifying match: April 6 ROH Honor Club TV (aired April 17) – Yuka Sakazaki defeated Viva Van to advance
- Qualifying match: April 6 ROH Honor Club TV (aired April 17) – Billie Starkz defeated Lacey Lane to advance
- Qualifying match: April 6 ROH Honor Club TV (aired April 17) – Persephone defeated Isla Dawn to advance
- On May 2, Tony Khan announced that Persephone would not be competing in the final after being sprayed with black mist by Julia Hart on the April 25 "Playoff Palooza" edition of AEW Collision.[26] The following qualifying match decided her replacement.
- Qualifying match: May 9 ROH Honor Club TV: Supercard Showdown (aired May 14) – Zayda Steel defeated Hyan to advance
- Final match: May 15 Supercard of Honor – Athena (c) defeated Maya World, Trish Adora, Yuka Sakazaki, Billie Starkz, and Zayda Steel in a Six-Way Elimination match to retain the ROH Women's World Championship.
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zayda Steel | Athena | Pinned after being thrown into a steel chair in the corner | 5:01 |
| 2 | Trish Adora | Yuka Sakazaki | Pinned after a spinning side slam | 15:39 |
| 3 | Yuka Sakazaki | Billie Starkz | Pinned after a double underhook facebuster from the top rope | 17:27 |
| 4 | Billie Starkz | Maya World | Pinned after a sunset flip powerbomb | 21:47 |
| 5 | Maya World | Athena | Pinned after an O-Face off of a ladder | 26:12 |
| Winner | Athena (c) | N/a | ||
2026 July
On the May 20 episode of AEW Dynamite, Willow Nightingale announced that, due to a shoulder injury, she would relinquish the AEW TBS Championship.[27] The situation surrounding the title was addressed ten days later on an episode of AEW Collision, where AEW commentator Tony Schiavone announced that AEW would host its first Survival of the Fittest tournament, the second ever to feature women, to determine the new champion. The final would take place on the July 1 episode of Dynamite in San Diego, California.[2][28] On the June 6 episode of Collision, six of the twelve competitors in the tournament were revealed: Hikaru Shida, Kris Statlander, Mina Shirakawa, Harley Cameron, Queen Aminata, and Zayda Steel.[29] Qualifying matches were later held during Dynamite and Collision episodes.
- Qualifying match: June 11 Collision: Summer Blockbuster (aired June 13) – Persephone defeated Julia Hart to advance
- Qualifying match: June 11 Collision: Summer Blockbuster (aired June 13) – Hikaru Shida defeated Zayda Steel to advance
- Qualifying match: June 17 Collision (aired June 20) – Kris Statlander defeated Mina Shirakawa to advance
- Qualifying match: June 24 Dynamite – Queen Aminata defeated Red Velvet to advance
- Qualifying match: June 24 Dynamite – Harley Cameron defeated Marina Shafir to advance
- Qualifying match: June 28 Forbidden Door Buy-In – Maika defeated Skye Blue to advance
- Final match: July 1 Dynamite – Hikaru Shida defeated Persephone, Kris Statlander, Queen Aminata, Harley Cameron, and Maika in a Six-Way Elimination match to win the vacant AEW TBS Championship
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harley Cameron | Persephone | Pinned after a crucifix powerbomb | 2:23 |
| 2 | Maika | Hikaru Shida | Pinned with a schoolgirl | 7:34 |
| 3 | Queen Aminata | Persephone | 9:48 | |
| 4 | Persephone | Kris Statlander | Pinned with a cradle | 15:29 |
| 5 | Kris Statlander | Hikaru Shida | Passed out in a bow and arrow hold after being hit with the title belt by Persephone. | 17:29 |
| Winner | Hikaru Shida | N/a | ||
Pay-per-view and event dates and venues
The Survival of the Fittest is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion.[30][31] The event was initially held in 2004 and its last event was held in 2021. There was no event in 2020 of the scheduled pay-per-view due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is currently unknown if or when the event will be reinstated in the future.
| Survival of the Fittest | |
|---|---|
| Promotions | Ring of Honor |
| First event | 2004 |
| Last event | 2021 |