Former Ring Of Honor COO Joe Koff Passes Away

Joe Koff has passed away.

In a short statement issued on October 15th, MLW announced that former Ring of Honor COO Joe Koff had passed away. As reported by PWInsider, Koff had been battling cancer but the decision was taken in August to discontinue treatment to enhance the quality of the time left he had with his family.

Born in 1951, Koff was a lifelong wrestling fan and got his first experience in the industry when Championship Wrestling from Florida was produced by the TV station he worked for. He later helped put together the deal for the Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy Ring of Honor from Cary Silkin in 2011. Koff was working as an executive with Sinclair at the time.

Joe Koff served as ROH Chief Operating Officer until the company was acquired by Tony Khan in 2022.

You can find the statement from MLW below.

“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.”

Wrestling World Pays Tribute To Joe Koff

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter was quick to pay tribute to Koff while detailing his impact on the wrestling industry.

Very saddened to hear about the death of Joe Koff, who passed away this morning due to cancer. Koff was one of the key people in keeping ROH alive both brokering the deal with Sinclair and as COO of the company under that ownership group.

He was an absolute pleasure to deal with, honestly among my favorite main administrators ever. He helped the Young Buicks & Cody Rhodes do All In when he could stood in their ways and that show was monumental in hindsight in pro wrestling history.

Cody Rhodes paid his own tribute to Koff on social media, describing him as a great man from whom he had learned a lot.

Joe Koff Really great man that I learned a lot from and was always happy/lucky to be in his presence All love to his family

Everyone at TJR Wrestling sends their condolences to Joe Koff’s family and friends during this difficult time.