Former ROH executive Joe Koff passes away

Joe Koff — who led Ring of Honor during the Sinclair Broadcast Group era — has passed away.

His death was announced on Tuesday by MLW, who credited Koff for the honor, integrity, and passion that he always showed while working in professional wrestling. Born in 1951, Koff was a lifelong wrestling fan and worked in the television industry for decades.

“MLW is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff,” the promotion wrote. “On behalf of MLW, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Joe always led with honor, integrity, and a passion for the sport we all cherish. His legacy will live on in the hearts of everyone he inspired. Thank you, Joe, for your contributions and unwavering dedication to wrestling. Rest in peace.”

Koff got his first experience in wrestling when Championship Wrestling from Florida was produced by the TV station he was employed by in Tampa. Later, while an executive for Sinclair Broadcast Group, Koff (along with ROH’s Jim Cornette and Gary Juster) helped put together the deal for SBG to buy ROH from Cary Silkin in 2011. Koff had the job title of Chief Operating Officer in ROH.

SBG owned ROH until selling the promotion to AEW’s Tony Khan in 2022. Following the sale, Koff reflected on his time running ROH:

• As I look back on this amazing journey, there are so many people who joined this journey with me, our staff, our brilliant athletes that you will always know as Ring of Honor, our partners in production and distribution, our vendors and most importantly, you, our fans. I want to thank you personally for your continuous support, belief in me and our product, what we could do, what we would do, what we did!
• It was the journey of a lifetime and I thank you for sharing it with me.

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