The Kingdom return to Ring of Honor to salvage a stagnant tag division

The boys are back in town

Matt Taven and Mike Bennett are officially back in the mix for AEW and Ring of Honor. The Ringside News report confirmed their return, putting the entire ROH tag team division on immediate notice. They have one specific goal: reclaiming the ROH World Tag Team Championships. It is a title they consider their personal property.

You cannot talk about modern Ring of Honor without talking about The Kingdom. Since their formation, they have been a foundational pillar of the brand. Taven and Bennett have weathered multiple ownership changes, roster exoduses, and brand relaunches. Through it all, their connection as a unit has only grown stronger.

Their absence from television over the past few months left a noticeable void in the tag division. While AEW and ROH have plenty of makeshift teams and thrown-together singles stars, there is a severe lack of dedicated, career tag teams. Taven and Bennett fill that gap perfectly.

A legacy built on gold

Looking back at their previous runs with the ROH Tag Team Championships, The Kingdom always brought a gritty, unapologetic style to their matches. Bennett operates as the powerhouse, throwing heavy forearms and utilizing his strength to dictate the pace. His spinebuster is one of the most underrated in the business, a snapping motion that looks like it breaks ribs.

Taven is the explosive element, able to hit a springboard enzuigiri or a spectacular dive when the match requires a sudden shift in momentum. His Flight of the Conqueror dive to the outside remains a staple of their big-match formula. They complement each other flawlessly.

But what really makes them effective is their ring psychology. They do not just wrestle matches; they manipulate crowds. They know exactly when to cut off the ring, when to draw the referee's attention, and when to cheat. It is classic, old-school tag team wrestling executed with modern athleticism.

They understand the value of a perfectly timed eye rake or a distraction on the apron. In an era where many teams just take turns exchanging Canadian Destroyers, Taven and Bennett actually work over a body part and build to a hot tag. They make you care about the heat segment.

People often forget their success overseas. During their time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, they captured the IWGP Tag Team Championships, proving their style translates across the globe. Working in front of the quiet, analytical Japanese crowds forced them to refine their heel work.

They could not rely on cheap heat; they had to earn the boos through vicious in-ring work. That experience made them infinitely better performers when they returned to the United States. It stripped away the bad habits and left a lean, mean tag team.

The current state of the ROH Tag Division

Let's be brutally honest about the ROH Tag Team Championship picture in 2026. It has been stagnant. Tony Khan's habit of putting the belts on random main eventers or using them as props in secondary feuds has damaged the prestige of the titles.

We have seen too many singles wrestlers paired up randomly dominating the championship scene. It devalues the concept of tag team wrestling when two guys who just met can beat a team that has been tagging for five years. Ring of Honor deserves better.

Historically, Ring of Honor was built on legendary tag team rivalries. The Briscoes, The Motor City Machine Guns, The Young Bucks, reDRagon—these teams treated tag team wrestling as the main event, not a stepping stone. Right now, the division feels like an afterthought.

Bringing The Kingdom back into the fold is a necessary corrective measure. They are an actual tag team. They have matching gear, tandem offense, and a shared history. When they challenge for the belts, it feels like a legitimate sporting contest rather than a contrived soap opera angle.

They bring a sense of legitimacy that the division desperately needs. If you look at the current roster, there are very few teams with the pedigree of Taven and Bennett. They are multi-time champions who know how to anchor a division and draw money.

Matchups we need to see

The potential clashes for The Kingdom in 2026 are highly intriguing. You have younger teams trying to make a name for themselves who could benefit massively from working with veterans like Taven and Bennett. A program with Top Flight, for example, would be a fascinating clash of styles.

Dante and Darius Martin's aerial assault running into the physical, grounding offense of The Kingdom is a promoter's dream. Bennett catching Dante out of mid-air with a vicious spear would be a highlight-reel moment. It is exactly the kind of match that elevates everyone involved.

Or imagine them mixing it up with The Acclaimed. The promo battles alone would be worth the price of admission. Taven's self-righteous arrogance clashing perfectly against Max Caster's rap insults would create excellent television. Anthony Bowens trading strikes with Bennett would be incredibly physical.

I also want to see them get in the ring with the Lucha Brothers. Penta and Rey Fenix operate at a chaotic, frenetic pace that often forces their opponents out of their comfort zone. But The Kingdom excels at grounding high-flyers. Watching Bennett chop the life out of Fenix, or Taven trading superkicks with Penta, would be a phenomenal clash of philosophies.

Then there is the possibility of crossing over onto AEW television. While their primary focus is the ROH gold, Taven and Bennett are more than capable of mixing it up with The Young Bucks or FTR. A feud with FTR, in particular, would be a masterclass in traditional tag team wrestling.

Both teams respect the rules, the tag rope, and the pacing of a classic southern tag match. A two-out-of-three falls match between FTR and The Kingdom could headline any pay-per-view. It is a stylistic dream match that Tony Khan has in his back pocket.

Booking the return

The key to making this return successful is consistent television time. AEW and ROH have a bad habit of debuting or returning talent, giving them a big pop, and then leaving them off the shows for three weeks. Taven and Bennett need to be featured weekly.

They need to string together wins, cut promos, and build momentum. They should start by tearing through the lower card. Give them squash matches where they look dominant. Let Bennett hit a devastating piledriver. Let Taven hit the Climax.

Remind the audience of their finishing sequences and their ruthless aggression. Once they have established a winning streak, then you pull the trigger on the championship program. Do not rush it. Let the anticipation build organically over several weeks.

You cannot just have them wrestle on Rampage or Collision every three weeks and expect the crowd to treat them like stars. Repetition breeds familiarity, and familiarity breeds investment. If they are cutting promos on HonorClub every week, fans will naturally start demanding to see them on the main pay-per-views. It is a simple formula that wrestling promoters have used for decades.

Tony Khan needs to resist the urge to immediately throw them back into a massive stable. The Kingdom works best when it is just Matt and Mike, relying on their own wits and teamwork. Adding managers or extra members usually dilutes their presentation.

Their previous stint in the Undisputed Kingdom faction alongside Adam Cole and Roderick Strong had mixed results. While the faction started hot, the booking eventually stalled. Taven and Bennett often felt like background players rather than the main attraction.

The road to the gold

As we approach the summer of 2026, the timing of their return is perfect. With AEW Double or Nothing just eight days away on May 24, and the subsequent build to the summer pay-per-views, there is plenty of runway to establish The Kingdom as the number one contenders.

They have the experience, the talent, and the motivation to carry the division. Their journey back to the top will not be easy. The competition is fierce, and the fans can be fickle. But if there is one thing Taven and Bennett have proven over their careers, it is that they are resilient.

They have been written off countless times, only to return better than before. This run needs to be about cementing their legacy. They are already multi-time champions, but adding another dominant reign in 2026 would solidify their status as one of the greatest tag teams in Ring of Honor history.

It is time for them to silence the critics and take back what they believe is rightfully theirs. The ROH Tag Team Championships need The Kingdom just as much as The Kingdom needs the championships.

Final prediction

I am calling it right now. By the time the ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view rolls around later this summer, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett will be wearing the ROH World Tag Team Championships. They are simply too good, and the division is too thin, for any other outcome to make sense.

They will not just win the belts; they will hold them for the rest of the year. Expect a reign filled with hard-hitting title defenses, classic heel tactics, and a whole lot of purple. The Kingdom is back, and the tag team wrestling world is infinitely better for it.