Joe Koff Dead, Former ROH Executive Dies Of Cancer At Age 73

ROH

Joe Koff, former Chief Operating Officer of Ring of Honor, has died at the age of 73, according to a report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider. Koff had reportedly been battling cancer privately and decided several months ago to end his treatment, allowing himself to live out the rest of his days alongside his family as comfortably as possible.

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During and after his time with ROH, Koff maintained his role as Senior Vice President of Training and Development at Sinclair Broadcasting Group. It was Koff who convinced his employers at Sinclair to purchase ROH in 2011, kicking off the promotion's run as a corporate subsidiary.

Throughout his time as COO, Koff helped grow the brand in multiple ways, eventually leading to a jointly-promoted show between ROH and New Japan Pro-Wrestling at New York City's famous Madison Square Garden in 2019. In 2022, however, ROH was sold to AEW's Tony Khan, bringing the Sinclair era to an end.

After graduating from the University of Miami in 1972, Koff began working in sales and advertising before eventually moving to the world of TV. It wasn't long after that when Koff's professional experience in wrestling began, as he helped produce a prime time event for Eddie Graham's Championship Wrestling from Florida.

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Though Koff grew up as a wrestling fan, the executive was said to have never interfered in the creative side of ROH during his tenure with the company. Instead, Koff focused on big picture business decisions, with the MSG show said to have been a very proud moment in his career.

The Wrestling Inc. team would like to send its condolences to the family and friends of Joe Koff.