I don't think Cornette can take all the blame for ROH - the starting point was obviously firing Gabe, but the product had begun to suffer even before then (the Faction Warfare clusterfuck and losing talent to TNA & WWE). It was really a combination of factors;
. Losing Punk, Joe, Shelley, Aries, Nigel, Sydal, Danielson, Black, etc, to WWE & TNA.
. The falling out with Dragon Gate, prompting them to start their own US promotion in competition with ROH.
. Cary being unable to continue operating the promotion at a loss, so less fly-ins, less new talent and, ultimately, selling ROH to Sinclair Broadcasting.
. The HDNet TV deal causing them to oversaturate certain markets with dull TV tapings, as HDNet wouldn't pay to take the equipment on the road.
. Four bookers in six years, each with their own divergent ideas for the direction of the promotion.
. The Sinclair deal causing them to focus on markets reached by the TV show and cut-down on or abandon shows in traditional ROH markets.
. A plague of iPPV problems.
It's strange though, because while I have little interest in the product now, see little discussion about ROH online, find the TV show to be pretty lacking in entertainment or excitement and have been burned too many times to buy another ROH iPPV, they still do good business by all accounts. The promotion isn't operating at a loss any more, it doesn't really cost Sinclair anything and attendances have been really good for them in some markets. There is obviously still an audience for ROH out there, but I don't think that audience is anywhere near as synonymous with the internet wrestling fan like ROH's audience used to be.
