Ring of Honor: A Whole World of Wrestling... [July 2019-]

20LEgend · August 5, 2019

Ring of Honor Wrestling: Post-Death Before Dishonor Episode

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Announcers: Ian Riccaboni & Caprice Coleman - Venue: Sam’s Town Live! - Location: Las Vegas, Nevada</div><hr color=black><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="ndPxhb6.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ndPxhb6.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="lnaDQBd.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/lnaDQBd.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="b3KTs4i.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/b3KTs4i.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>

Ring of Honor Wrestling opened with an in-ring promo from Jay Lethal, who was joined by his fellow ROH World Six Man Tag Team Champions.

<ul><li>Lethal spoke about Dragon Lee & Rush winning the ROH World Tag Team Championships at Death Before Dishonor, ridding the company of The Guilleras of Destiny! </li><li>He then talked about Jeff Cobb winning the ROH World Championship, a worthy winner and the right man to save that title from Matt Taven and his Kingdom. He did say however, that he’d be back for the title when the time was right... </li><li>Jay also mentioned Jonathan Gresham briefly, but his main focus was the World Six Man Tag Team Championships, the titles that he’d won with Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams at Death Before Dishonor. He said that winning the titles with those guys meant everything to him, but they were part of something bigger at the Pay-Per-View. Jay Lethal says that ROH now has a group of Champions they can be proud of, and he has an idea. </li><li>Lethal pointed out that there were three of them in the ring, and there were three other new Champions in Ring of Honor, Dragon Lee, Rush and Jeff Cobb. He also added that they needed a Main Event for tonight’s show. However, before Lethal could follow his thought to its logical conclusion, Matt Taven led The Kingdom to the ring.</li></ul>

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The Kingdom, and particularly Matt Taven, were in no mood to join in Lethal’s positivity, instead talking about the injustice he suffered at Death Before Dishonor. Matt Taven said that his ROH World Championship was stolen by somebody who he beat in the middle of the ring at Best in the World, and he wanted it back. Lethal was clearly enjoying Taven’s misery, but when the leader of The Kingdom threatened to slap the smile off his face, Lifeblood took this as a challenge. Before long, the match was agreed to, Lethal & Lifeblood facing The Kingdom in a Six Man Tag Team match.<hr color=black>After the commentators confirmed that the aforementioned match would air on this week’s episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling, a promo was shown from Jeff Cobb, who held his recently won Championship. Cobb, who had expected to be facing Lethal & Lifeblood, was joined by Dragon Lee & Rush, and spoke about the changed plans. Jeff Cobb was instead happy for the three new Champions to face Villain Enterprises, bringing in the fourth member of their Championship team. Joining Cobb, Lee and Rush, Jonathan Gresham added his piece, setting up the Eight Man Tag Team match, to air next week!<hr color=black>The Briscoe Brothers picked up a convincing victory over the Shinobi Shadow Squad, with Mark Briscoe pinning Ryan Nova. The match offered the commentators the opportunity to talk about Jay Briscoe pinning Nick Aldis at Death Before Dishonor, albeit in extremely controversial circumstances.

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After the match, Jay Briscoe cut a promo on ROH, the NWA, Nick Aldis and his Championship. He said that he beat Aldis, but he doesn’t give a damn about the title. Jay said that when he takes the 10 pounds of Gold from Aldis… he was gonna melt it down and sell it!<hr color=black>A promo from Kelly Klein aired, with the Women of Honor World Champion promoting her match against Nicole Savoy at Death Before Dishonor. Klein put over the fact that her victory was available now on Honor Club, as was the live event that these episodes of Ring of Honor Wrestling were recorded at!<hr color=black>Nicole Savoy defeated Tasha Steelz in what appeared to be a farewell match for the SHIMMER Champion. After the match, Savoy raised her title in the air, bowing to the fans as she left the ring…

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="dh4Dh9i.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/dh4Dh9i.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div><hr color=black>Alex Shelley cut a promo in response to the defeat at Death Before Dishonor, and while he wasn’t pinned, he accepted that he’d had his shot at the ROH World Championship. Shelley admitted that he still wanted to become the Champion, and to do that he had to do one thing. Square off against the best that ROH has to offer, and earn his way back to the top!<hr color=black>Villain Enterprises responded to the challenge from Jeff Cobb, Jonathan Gresham, Dragon Lee and Rush, with Marty Scurll saying that the match will be the group’s chance to “fix” what happened at Death Before Dishonor.<hr color=black><div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="ndPxhb6.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/ndPxhb6.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="lnaDQBd.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/lnaDQBd.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="b3KTs4i.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/b3KTs4i.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="BXYJnHD.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/BXYJnHD.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="OAm8b6j.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/OAm8b6j.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="TjVWgle.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/TjVWgle.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="3QHOT7A.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/3QHOT7A.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>

In only their second match as a team, Lethal & Lifeblood were able to pick up another victory, compounding what has been a terrible month for Matt Taven’s Kingdom, and a particularly bad past week. Matt Taven couldn’t even lay the blame at the door of TK O’Ryan or Vinny Marseglia in the end, as it came down to him and Jay Lethal in the ring. Lethal managed to finally pick up the victory that had eluded him while Taven was Champion, pinning him following a Lethal Injection!

After the match, Jay Lethal, Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams stood tall in the ring, the commentators putting over the World Six Man Tag Team Champions. Next week on Ring of Honor Wrestling, the team of Champions (Jeff Cobb, Dragon Lee & Rush and Jonathan Gresham) will face Villain Enterprises, and Bandido will go one on one with “The Last Real Man” Silas Young.<hr color=black><div style="text-align:center;">Quick Results

The Briscoes bt. Shinobi Shadow Squad (C-)

Nicole Savoy bt. Tasha Steelz (E+)

Jay Lethal & Lifeblood (Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams) bt. The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia) (C-)</div><hr color=black>Overall Notes: Coming out of Death Before Dishonor, I was keen to capitalise on the attempt that was made to create some separation with the previous regime, and Jay Lethal’s promo to open the show looked to reaffirm those ideas, particularly that of the current Ring of Honor Champions being “ROH guys”. While the new direction is a gradual process, and still very much a work in progress, this week’s show further established the new pecking order, with Matt Taven and The Kingdom moving back towards a midcard role. Looking to next week’s show, another multi person tag team Main Event ensures that the big names will be in a marquee match, without “wasting” potential one on one matches for further down the line. It also allows us to continue the momentum of Jeff Cobb’s victory at Death Before Dishonor, and lay the seeds for a potential Marty Scurll vs. Jeff Cobb match before “The Villain” departs.

While the changes aren’t sweeping, and the matches that took place could have happened on any ROH show within the last 6 months, the long-term goal of building to Final Battle, and then going full steam ahead in 2020, remains in place. Signings have once again been kept to a minimum, with an already bloated roster needing to be subtracted from, before it can be added to. Once we have “trimmed the fat” from the roster, then we can look towards signing the new batch of “ROH guys” who can become key parts of the current rebuild. Victory for The Briscoes, and Jay’s post-match promo, put over their controversial defeat of Nick Aldis, and Jay Lethal & Lifeblood were further established as top level guys in the company. Matches were also set up for next week’s show, with pieces also put in place for the future direction of Alex Shelley. A solid, if unspectacular episode, it is almost more important to play it safe and ensure the avoidance of mistakes in the coming months, as the stigma of the previous regime hopefully fades, and the ill-will towards the company subsides. The positive feedback of Death Before Dishonor was a big step in the right direction, with simple yet logical booking appearing to be the best approach for the Las Vegas block of shows.

christmas_ape · August 5, 2019

Yeah I think you've hit the nail on the head with the pacing of the changes. Taking it realistically slow like this should make it all the sweeter when eventually you have 'your' ROH with a new crop of stars rather than if you brought them all in straight away.

joshspicer · August 5, 2019

Is Marty saying that he's not interested in resigning/a freelancer so he won't resign or are you playing on reality and having him leave for AEW?

20LEgend · August 7, 2019

I don't follow ROH too much right now but I think Cobb being champion is overdue, great decision.

Awesome stuff, I love the detail you put in to everything and I really enjoyed your reasoning for results. Really looking forward to the core group of guys you build for ROH going forward as I agree they need to rediscover their identity.

Thanks, it's interesting that the match write up discussion came up recently, as it's something I have always wondered when booking a company like ROH. I think this is a good way around it, as I can give as much or as little detail as I want when it feels necessary, and makes sure I actually put more thought into everything I book.

I think there's a decent amount of people already in the company who will fit as part of being ROH guys, and I'm keeping my eye on ratings on the indies for my new signing to go with those I've already shortlisted.

Awesome show, and I love the "reasoning" sections, giving us insight into why certain decisions were made!

Out of curiosity, what sort of ratings were you getting for each match/segment and the show overall?

Thanks too! I've added the match ratings to the end of the PPV post, but if you want ratings for everything I could add a link to a screenshot of the full results page if you'd prefer that.

Quick Results Response:

Rush & Dragon Lee - Dragon Lee will shine ROH up like nothing else. Rush as a World Champion is a little less certain, but he has the look of a title challenger if nothing else.

Jonathan Gresham & the ROH Honor Club Championship - You have a real chance to pay homage to the Pure Championship here. Shoot Style Forever.

The Briscoes - Jay Briscoe as the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion doesn't sound wrong to my ears... it's just that I'd rather ROH move on from the past that is NWA.

Kelly Klein & Women of Honor World Championship - You rename the Television Title, but not Women of Honor? Also boo, can't believe you're going with Klein. Or Allysin Kay, really. But at least IMPACT has a women's division and women's history worth existing.

Bandido - Big time prospect. Feed him all your pink slips.

Jay Lethal, Lifeblood & Villain Enterprises - A good start. VE must become ... EXTINCT.

Jeff Cobb - The Goliath of ROH just cleared the plate. Whose first to step up to the plate.

Thanks for the feedback, the reasoning on your D.B.D predictions post was very much in line with my thoughts for the majority of matches. RE: NWA, when I heard in real life the working agreement was over, my first thought was "why didn't I think of that?" but I've kind of committed to it now, so I hope we can make some interesting moves while the NWA titles are active in ROH. After Final Battle, I have a feeling we might move away from featuring them, as I don't think there really should be two top titles on one show, especially given that we have limited time.

As for Women of Honor, it's still a bit of a mess, and I don't know what to do about it to be honest the title will be renamed eventually, as I've never been a fan of it. It should be the ROH Women's World Championship at some point, but I'd like to have a decent moment to implement the change (i.e when we actually have a good women's roster). Part of me just wants to start from scratch and bringing in a group of new female competitors, on the other hand I think it could feel a bit too much at once. I really don't know. Kelly Klein and Allysin Kay aren't people I'm even particularly keen on, they're just there at the minute. Something has to be done though, and I'm leaning more and more to just taking a bunch of SHIMMER's roster and throwing them out there. It would certainly be an improvement, albeit not perfect.

I really liked Death before Dishonor. The format is excellent.

As some other users said before me, the "reasoning" section gives an insight on why you decided to book one thing that way and not the other, and as for now every result has been really well-thought.

Looking forward to read what's next.

Thanks, as for what's next I'm not 100% sure if giving each episode a post is the right way to go, so I'd be interested as to which is the preferred approach. Each episode in fairly short posts, or a longer monthly recap of what happened?

Yeah I think you've hit the nail on the head with the pacing of the changes. Taking it realistically slow like this should make it all the sweeter when eventually you have 'your' ROH with a new crop of stars rather than if you brought them all in straight away.

I definitely feel like I need to establish what we do have and prioritise getting some kind of structure to the roster, before adding too much to it. It's like even just by bringing in Fred Yehi, he's somebody who I like a lot, but since I'm already trying to push a fair few people who were here before him, it's hard for him to get particular individual spotlight. There's so many people on the roster, and it's about half and half split of people I rate highly, and those I don't. The problem with that is, the booking becomes a little predictable. Hopefully that's only a short term issue, and eventually I find a better balance.

Is Marty saying that he's not interested in resigning/a freelancer so he won't resign or are you playing on reality and having him leave for AEW?

Before saves I generally look to play on reality a little bit. Obviously most things can't be predicted (for instance I believe Cobb's contract is up soon, and I've heard rumours he might on his way out. In game I've resigned him to a new deal), but with Marty and even into next year Flip Gordon feeling to me like they're pretty certain to leave, I want to replicate that in the save. How that will happen when the time comes, I don't know. I just won't be resigning them. I always like a few extra challenges when I start a new save, so that when I play as Impact, ROH, AEW or WWE, I don't just sign the same people all the time. It keeps it fresh. There's plenty of people who are available in game and would improve the roster and the shows immensely, but if I had Zack Sabre and Will Osperay signed already, there wouldn't be very far I feel I could take the save long-term.

20LEgend · August 11, 2019

ROH Death Before Dishonor - Television Taping

Death Before Dishonor FALLOUT - Television Taping

Following the generally positive feedback from Death Before Dishonor, Ring of Honor looked to build further momentum with a series of episodes from the same building. While nothing drastic was expected, the company looked to continue along the same lines, with the following being the results from the taping, as they aired weekly on Charge!:

Episode #1

Jay Lethal cut a promo in the ring with his fellow ROH Six Man Tag Team Champions, Mark Haskins & Tracy Williams. Jay Lethal put over the three other title winners from Death Before Dishonor, teasing the potential of a Six Man Tag Team match against Jeff Cobb, Dragon Lee & Rush. This match would not happened however, as Matt Taven led The Kingdom to the ring. Lashing out following the loss of his title to Cobb, Taven talked his group into a match with Jay Lethal & Lifeblood!
Jeff Cobb’s reaction to the match between Lethal & Lifeblood and The Kingdom aired next, with the ROH World Champion being joined by Rush & Dragon Lee. Cobb said that he would be going to plan b, issuing a challenge to Villain Enterprises. For that match, they’d need a fourth man, with Cobb, Rush & Dragon Lee being joined by Jonathan Gresham.
The Briscoes bt. Shinobi Shadow Squad - Eli Isom and Ryan Nova tried their best to find a footing in this match, but were ultimately steamrolled by the determined Briscoes. Following the match, Jay showed the same level of intensity, cutting an obscene promo about Nick Aldis, the NWA and the “10 Pounds of Gold”.
Kelly Klein spoke on her match with Nicole Savoy at Death Before Dishonor. She put over the fact that the match was available now on Honor Club!
Nicole Savoy bt. Tasha Steelz - picking up another solid victory in ROH, Savoy defeat Steelz, in what appeared to potentially be a farewell match.
Alex Shelley cut a promo regarding Death Before Dishonor, saying that despite not being pinned or submitted again, he accepts that - for now - he’s had his shot at the Ring of Honor World Championship. That didn’t mean he was giving up on becoming the Champion, and to do that, he’d have to beat the best of the rest of the Ring of Honor roster.
Villain Enterprises accepted the challenge from the ROH Champions Team, with Marty Scurll calling it the perfect chance for them to “fix” what happened at Death Before Dishonor!
Jay Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) bt. The Kingdom - continuing to show a great cohesion as a team, Lethal and his partners picked up another victory, as things went from bad to worse for The Kingdom. Having failed to defeat Taven on multiple occasions when Taven was ROH World Champion, Jay Lethal finally picked up a victory over the former title holder.

<hr color=black>Episode #2

Bandido bt. Silas Young (DQ) - with Bandido seemingly closing in on victory, the decisive fall was taken from him, as Shane Taylor made his ROH return. Laying into Bandido, the referee had no choice but to call for the bell. After the match, PJ Black looked to make the save for Bandido, but was also taken down by Young & Taylor.
Footage was shown of Bandido and PJ Black arriving in the back. Having been busy after their match which aired last week, Lethal & Lifeblood didn’t know of the assault, but checked on their friends as they came through the curtain.
Alex Shelley promoted his match with Kenny King, talking of his respect for a fellow ROH veteran.
After Josh Woods made his entrance for his match with Cheeseburger, Matt Taven stormed to the ringside area, furious about his recent fortunes. Seemingly laying the blame at ROH management’s door, Taven claimed that Ian Riccaboni has a direct line to the very top, and demanded he got him some answers! This didn’t endear Taven to Woods in the slightest.
Josh Woods bt. Cheeseburger - perhaps spurred on by the disrespect shown by Taven, Woods picked up a convincing victory over Cheeseburger. The commentators put over that Woods is on the most impressive run of his ROH career. This is probably what drew Rhett Titus out from the back. One of Woods’ recent conquests, Titus initially appeared impressed with Woods, only to slap him across the face and leave the ring.
Allysin Kay issued challenge to Kelly Klein, suggesting a Champion vs. Champion match. It was later confirmed that match would take place the following week
Jeff Cobb, Jonathan Gresham, Dragon Lee & Rush bt. Villain Enterprises - The team of Champions picked up a victory over Villain Enterprises, in a match that verged on becoming completely out of control on a number of occasions.
Like The Kingdom last week, Villain Enterprises were left disheartened at the end of the night, and as the Champions left the ring, Marty Scurll held court in it. Initially discussing the team’s recent issues with them, Scurll soon lost his temper, as words were crossed between the members of his group. Before he did something he would regret, Scurll stormed off, hesitating, before definitively walking out Flip, Brody and PCO.

<hr color=black>Episode #3

Allysin Kay and Kelly Klein went to a no contest - an even contest between two World Champion was robbed of a decisive finish, when Maria Manic stormed the ring and took out both women. Particularly focussing on Kelly Klein, Manic laid the Women of Honor World Champion out with a Chokebomb.
Following a look back at the end of last week’s episode, Marty Scurll issued a public apology to his fellow Villain Enterprises members, putting his actions down to frustration. He reiterated that Villain Enterprises was a democracy, but said that on an individual level, he must do better.
Alex Shelley’s promo from last week aired again, ahead of his match with Kenny King.
Coast 2 Coast bt. The Boys - an overdue victory for Ali & LSG, going over Brandon and Brent, who continue to look to find their path in Ring of Honor.
Footage was shown of Shane Taylor’s attack on Bandido last week. Next week, Taylor will face friend of Lifeblood, PJ Black.
Matt Taven once again came out to the ring, complaining about the situation regarding him losing the ROH World Championship. While he planned to stage a sit-in, until he got to speak to management, Taven was instead confronted by Jeff Cobb. The man who pinned Taven to become the Champion told him that it didn’t matter what Ring of Honor management said, because Cobb was ready to give Taven his shot… any time, anywhere. Jeff then suggested “right now”, with Taven explaining he needed some time to prepare. Taven then left the ring, but not before getting a shot in about how quickly he had defeated Jeff Cobb at Best in the World. Cobb didn’t let that get to him, and the match was later confirmed to air on next week’s ROH Wrestling...
Newcomer Fred Yehi was profiled in a sit-down interview with ROH cameras. Yehi put over his personality during the segment and spoke of his pride at debuting for Ring of Honor last month in his hometown.
Alex Shelley bt. Kenny King - with Rhett Titus at ringside with him, Kenny King should have had an advantage going into this match. However, Titus’ involvement backfired, and Shelley picked up a victory over King. After the match, Kenny King was furious. Reaching the end of his tether with Rhett Titus, whose career he had been trying to get back on track, King shook his head at his former partner, and appeared close to giving up on him completely.

<hr color=black>Episode #4

Matt Taven opened the show with a pre-recorded promo. Holding a stopwatch, Taven stopped the time at 9 minutes and 50 seconds. The former Champion then said that Jeff Cobb claimed he could beat Matt Taven in under 10 minutes, just like Taven did to him at Best in the World. Taven said that Cobb was mistaken, and not only will the Champion not win in under 10 minutes… he won’t beat Taven all!
Dalton Castle bt. Fred Yehi - despite a fast start to his ROH career, Fred Yehi came unstuck against a particularly aggressive Dalton Castle. Castle picked up a much needed victory, showing that he still has a lot to offer following recent troubles.
After the match, Yehi’s night went from bad to worse, as he was attacked by Shane Taylor. Seemingly being punished for his association with PJ Black, Yehi was taken down quickly. This drew PJ Black out from the back, with both men ready to start their scheduled match...
PJ Black bt. Shane Taylor - during the match, Silas Young began to observe from the entranceway, but before he could get involved, the contest was over. While Shane Taylor had appeared to be in control, he was rolled up by Black from out of nowhere.
As soon as the bell rang, Shane Taylor was back to his feet, and Silas Young joined him in the ring. The two men quickly began another assault, this time laying into PJ Black. Returning the favour from the previous attack, Bandido ran down to the ring, but serious damage had already been done to PJ. Silas Young and Shane Taylor then headed to the back, having seemingly formed an alliance based on their joint hatred of others.
Responding to the attack that took place last week, Kelly Klein issued a fired-up challenge to Maria Manic!
World Six Man Tag Team Champions, Jay Lethal, Mark Haskins and Tracy Williams came to the top of the stage to announce the next “Honor Club” special event, which would be called “ROH: Make The Cut”. Taking place at the Hammerstein Ballroom - the former home of Final Battle - the event was promised to have “huge implications” for the year end show. More information would be available soon, and when Jay Lethal had said his piece, Matt Taven’s music hit. The World Championship challenger made his way to the ring, but not before a tense exchange with Lethal & Lifeblood...
Jeff Cobb © bt. Matt Taven to retain the ROH World Championship - while Matt Taven was right about Cobb being unable to beat him in 10 minutes, his decision to show everybody the moment the 10 minute mark passed on his stopwatch was pretty much the beginning of the end. Turning straight into the offence of Jeff Cobb, the uncharacteristic lapse in concentration cost Taven his Championship opportunity. A Tour of The Islands once again secured the fate of Matt Taven, with Jeff Cobb standing tall to end the recording…
However, before Ring of Honor Wrestling went off the air, a cut away to the location of Marty Scurll and Villain Enterprises lead to the rise of a potential new challenger. Through a mysterious and slightly cryptic promo, it was made clear that Marty Scurll had his eyes on ROH World Champion…

<hr color=black>After Death Before Dishonor and the Fallout on television, it was a quiet month for Ring of Honor, with few incoming or outgoings to the roster. Aside from the confirmation that Fred Yehi had signed an ROH contract, and talks that a deal with Joe Hendry was close, there was little else in-terms of backstage news. As far as injuries were concerned, everybody remained healthy, with good news coming as it was reported that David Finlay Jr. would be back sooner than expected.

Focus will now turn to “ROH: Make The Cut”, an event that will air on Honor Club after the next block of television, and is being promoted as having huge implications for the year end show, Final Battle. With Final Battle moving out of the Hammerstein Ballroom this year, instead to be held in Baltimore, Make The Cut is hoped to be able to fill that void, with a TV taping in the same venue scheduled for the night after the event.

EBEZA · August 15, 2019

More great stuff! It's been a long time since I watched ROH in real life, but this diary is certainly the sort of content that would tempt me back! <img alt="

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20LEgend · August 16, 2019

ROH San Antonio - Television Taping

ROH: San Antonio - Television Taping

Going into the block of shows from San Antonio, the focus within Ring of Honor was to ensure that the episodes built well to and heavily promoted the upcoming “Make The Cut” Honor Club event, the companies final “major show” before Final Battle. Scheduled to take place in the former home of Final Battle, the Hammerstein Ballroom, the concept of “Make The Cut” was revealed prior to the shows in San Antonio. Released on ROH’s social media platforms, the company announced that this year’s Final Battle would have the tagline “ROH vs. The World”, with the athletes of ROH facing off against other competitors from around the globe.

The Final Battle of what has been a testing year, the “ROH vs. The World” tagline not only represents the makeup of those performing at the event, but sums up how those within the company have felt about it’s place in the wrestling world, since the events of last year’s Final Battle and the exodus of talent that followed. The promotion for “Make The Cut” plays on that, calling on the members of the roster who “deserve” their place on the biggest card of the year to prove it at the Hammerstein Ballroom. A clear message from management that not everybody is up to the standard that Ring of Honor is looking to set in the new decade. With huge stakes on the line, in the building that has held 11 of the last 13 “Final Battle” events, those who come out of their “Make The Cut” matches victorious, will secure their place on the “season finale” show on December 13th!

One minor hiccup during the construction of the shows however, saw a planned Make The Cut match, and in turn a scheduled marquee Final Battle match, thrown into question. Having been scheduled to debut at the taping, Bandido’s long-term tag team partner Flamita was set to sign with the company, before suffering an injury working in Mexico. Plans then changed to move forward the return of the now cleared David Finlay (who would team with fellow Lifeblood member Bandido in the “Make The Cut” Number One Contender’s match), until the company were informed just days before the taping that Bandido had also suffered an injury.

Dragon Lee & Rush vs. Bandido & Flamita, and then Dragon Lee & Rush vs. Bandido & Finlay, had been scheduled to be the ROH World Tag Team Championship match at Final Battle, but Bandido’s injury resulted in Finlay’s return being delayed. Instead, the company was forced to go in a different direction, which played out over the San Antonio episodes. Here as the results from those shows, as they aired weekly on Charge!:

Episode #1

Following up the promo that aired last week, Villain Enterprises opened the show, with Jeff Cobb being called out by Marty Scurll. Instead of Cobb, Scurll was answered by Jay Lethal, who was later backed up by Haskins & Williams. Things got heated between the two, with Flip Gordon eventually leading Marty Scurll away from the heated exchange. Jay Lethal also headed to the back, leading into the opening match of the night...
Lifeblood’s Haskins & Williams bt. Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO - a fairly surprising defeat for King & PCO, with Haskins & Williams just seeming to ‘have their number’. Haskins rolled King up, scoring the win.
A video package hyped the rampage of Maria Manic, who has destroyed everybody on the Women of Honor roster since coming to the company. Recently, her attention turned to the Champion, Kelly Klein!
Maria Manic bt. A Local Talent - a completely one sided domination, that went on longer than it needed to. Manic clearly took pleasure in sending a brutal message to the Women of Honor World Champion.
After the match, Kelly Klein came down to the ring, looking for revenge on Maria Manic. An intense brawl broke out between the two, with Manic getting the better of the exchange. The unstoppable “Maneater” took control outside of the ring, dropping Klein with a vicious Double Handed Chokeslam.
The video package promoting Make The Cut aired, including the explanation of the implications that the event would have on “Final Battle: ROH vs. The World”.
The Briscoes cut a promo for their match against The Tate Boys, which would air next week. They promised a massacre was coming to the former Boys of Dalton Castle. Also next week, Jay Lethal would face Marty Scurll, the latter looking to prove he deserves a shot at Jeff Cobb’s World Championship.
Alex Shelley bt. Dalton Castle - while Castle came close on a number of occasions, Shelley’s return picked up further steam, defeating a former World Champion!

<hr color=black>Episode #2

Before the opening match, Matt Taven continued to complain about his situation in ROH, focussing his ire on “Make The Cut”. Matt Taven said that he was the World Champion for six months of 2019, and he “carried” Ring of Honor throughout that time. He said that the idea of him having to “make the cut” and earn a place on the Final Battle card was an insult to him. Taven demanded a match at Final Battle, but said he wouldn’t jump through hoops to impress ROH management.
The Kingdom bt. Shinobi Shadow Squad - six man action opened up the episode, with Matt Taven pinning Cheeseburger for the win. A much needed victory for The Kingdom, who have had a terrible last couple of months.
Marty Scurll cut a promo on Jay Lethal, who he said was the self-anointed leader of the ROH locker room. The Villain said that once he beat Lethal in the Main Event, nobody could question his place as the rightful Number One Contender!
The Briscoes bt. The Tate Boys - despite being a fairly short match, the brutally displayed in the video package prior to it was on full display. The Briscoes could have easily beaten Brent & Brandon in a couple of minutes, but dragged things out beyond reason. As a result of the brutality, the referee was left with no choice but to call a stoppage to the match, deeming The Tate Boys unable to continue.
Following the referee’s decision, Jay Briscoe pushed the referee, furious to have been stopped in their tracks. The Briscoes then laid out The Tate Boys once again, before Jay cut a promo on the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Nick Aldis. He wanted to know where the 10 Pounds of Gold was, and when he’d get the chance to beat him… again!
Jeff Cobb was interviewed regarding the Main Event, putting over Jay Lethal and admitting that if Scurll could beat him, then there would be a good case for him getting a World title shot at Make The Cut. Cobb also spoke on his match with Jonathan Gresham, which would air in two weeks time.
Marty Scurll bt. Jay Lethal - wanting to legitimately prove himself, Marty Scurll stepped up and told Flip Gordon, PCO and Brody King to head to the back. Beating Jay Lethal in a fair one on one match, Scurll hit the “Bird of Prey” for the win.
After the match, Scurll stood tall, the commentators impressed with his victory. While nothing was confirmed, it was suggested that the victory would put Scurll at the front of the line for a ROH World Championship shot.

<hr color=black>Episode #3

Continuing where last week’s episode finished, ROH TV kicked off with Marty Scurll shown in the ring, following a recap of his win over Jay Lethal. Scurll stood tall, alone in the ring, until Jeff Cobb joined him. Jeff Cobb told Marty Scurll that for once he’d proved that he could do something without anybody else's help. Scurll stayed quiet, gesturing for Cobb to carry on, and eventually the World Champion confirmed he was accepting the challenge for Make The Cut! This was the moment that Scurll decided to open his mouth, taking the microphone from Cobb and telling him he’d just made a “huge mistake”. Scurll then laughed in the face of the ROH World Champion, before leaving the ring.
A statement from Ian Riccaboni followed that segment, recorded after the TV taping. He confirmed that despite concerns from ROH management about the contractual implications of the match, talks with both Marty Scurll and Jeff Cobb have ensured the match will go ahead. The reason for those issues are known to those who follow the business closely, but Riccaboni says footage that the company have agreed to air next week will clear it up for everybody who watches.
Shane Taylor bt. Fred Yehi - despite PJ Black and Silas Young being banned from ringside, there was still outside involvement when a hooded man caused a distraction to assist Taylor in victory.
After the match, the commentators felt sure the hooded man was Silas Young, who had flagrantly broken the pre-match rule. However, when Fred Yehi was hit with a DDT, and the man took his hood off, it was revealed that Tom Latimer was behind the attack! Latimer stood tall in the ring, turning to Shane Taylor with a sinister smile on his face.
A video package looked at the recent actions of The Briscoes, particularly focussing on last week’s brutalisation of The Tate Boys. A graphic then confirmed that Kelly Klein would defend the Women of Honor World Championship at Make The Cut, against Maria Manic.
Sumie Sakai bt. Tasha Steelz (DQ) - Sakai’s return to ROH was ruined fairly quickly, as Maria Manic decided that she hadn’t quite made enough of a point. Manic attacked Sakai, throwing her to the outside, before focussing on Tasha Steelz. With Steelz laid out, and Manic standing tall, the commentators put over that Kelly Klein was still recovering from being laid out by Manic, during the brawl which aired last week.
Kenny King promoted his match with Josh Woods for next week, before being asked about Rhett Titus’ contract being allowed to run down. Kenny King said it was sad to see somebody who has been with the company for such a long time headed out of the door, but added “that’s business”.
An interview with Jonathan Gresham aired, with him talking in-depth about the ROH World Champion Jeff Cobb, and his Honor Club Championship. Gresham added that he loved the idea of everybody having to earn their place on Final Battle, and he couldn’t wait to prove himself against Jeff Cobb. That match will air next week.
Flip Gordon bt. PJ Black - an even match that saw Gordon prevail. The presence of Brody King & PCO at ringside undoubtedly helped Flip.
The episode ended with complete chaos, as Villain Enterprises surrounded PJ Black. After Scurll’s words earlier, the group were keen to send a message, before a hurt Fred Yehi, Jay Lethal and Lifeblood looked to even the odds. This attempted save was thwarted however, as Matt Taven, TK O’Ryan and Vinny Marseglia jumped Haskins, Williams and Lethal from behind. Villain Enterprises managed to lay out Yehi and Black, and The Kingdom dealt with the rest. ROH TV ended with a faceoff between Matt Taven’s Kingdom and Villain Enterprises...

<hr color=black>Episode #4

Going into Make The Cut, there were many matches yet to be confirmed, and the show opened with a recap of the chaotic ending to last week’s show. Out of that, the commentators put over that a match had been made, with Brody King & PCO, Fred Yehi & PJ Black and TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia facing off in a match to determine the Number One Contendership to the World Tag Team Championships. Rush & Dragon Lee wouldn’t be at Make The Cut, but would face the winning team at Final Battle.
Dragon Lee & Rush bt. Coast 2 Coast - in a match designed to put over their exciting in-ring styles, Lee & Rush picked up a convincing victory. During the match, the commentators put over that despite being ROH Champions, Dragon Lee & Rush had elected to represent their home promotion, CMLL, at Final Battle, having been given the choice by ROH management.
Tom Latimer joined Shane Taylor and Silas Young, giving reaction to what was seen on last week’s episode. Latimer put over Taylor’s victory, and said that having looked at the Number One Contendership for the Tag Team titles, it seems Championship opportunities are handed out in Ring of Honor. In that case, Young, Taylor and Latimer issued a challenge to Lethal & Lifeblood for Make The Cut.
Out of that, Ian Riccaboni gave a pre-Make The Cut update, confirming that Jay Lethal and Lifeblood had accepted the challenge from Latimer and co., and would defend their World Six Man Tag Team titles at Make The Cut. Riccaboni also ran down the rest of the card, confirming Jonathan Gresham vs. Alex Shelley for the Honor Club Championship, a SHIMMER Showcase match to determine the next challenger to the Women of Honor title and another match that would determine the opponent for Jushin Thunder Liger, who will make his last appearance in North America as an active wrestler at Final Battle.
Footage aired from after Maria Manic’s destruction of Sumie Sakai and Tasha Steelz, with the Number One Contender confronting Kelly Klein as she received medical attention. Manic got an earful from Kelly Klein, who vowed to teach her what the H in WOH stands for!
Kenny King bt. Josh Woods - despite reports that Rhett Titus’ contract had expired, Kenny King brought him to the ring with him, revealing that he had offered him a bit of money and signed him as his own personal training partner. Titus appeared in training gear, and helped King to victory over Woods. Had it not been for his involvement, Woods may have picked up one of the biggest wins of his career.
After confirmation that Jay Briscoe would face Nick Aldis at Final Battle, Jay Lethal cut a promo about the upcoming World Six Man Tag Team Championship match at Make The Cut. Lethal said that Latimer was right, they hadn’t earned the shot, but promised that by being in the ring with him, Haskins & Williams, they’d more than earn their paycheck at Make The Cut!
Jeff Cobb bt. Jonathan Gresham - an all out match, with impressive action from the off, Cobb and Gresham took each other to their ultimate limits, with the World Champion having that fraction more in the tank. Hitting the Tour of the Islands, Jeff Cobb picked up a huge win ahead of his match with Marty Scurll at Make The Cut!
Before the night ended, the final episode from San Antonio saw Marty Scurll come to the top of the ramp. Having been fairly cryptic throughout, the footage that almost didn’t air was shown, with Marty Scurll showing his true colours. Cutting a promo that put the match going ahead at all into doubt, Scurll revealed that Villain Enterprises were “ceasing business relations” with Ring of Honor following “Make The Cut”. Scurll said that the contract for the match was signed, but nothing else. He added that Ring of Honor had screwed him for the last year, making him a martyr for the actions of others! He said that he was going to take the title from Jeff Cobb at Make The Cut, and prove that the “best frickin’ wrestler in the world” was slipping through their fingers!

<hr color=black>Along with the matches for Make The Cut, and how they will affect Final Battle at the end of the year, the big talking point for the taping was the decision to acknowledge the impending departure of Marty Scurll. Feeling that with such a large percentage of the audience aware of what is going on, pretending that the situation going into the World Championship match didn’t exist wouldn’t sit well, creating an awkward “elephant in the room” for the Main Event of “Make The Cut”.

While the promo from Scurll, and the open acceptance that he was likely on his way out could be seen as “spoiling” the Main Event (by making it seem obvious who is winning), ROH social media did make it clear that an offer was on the table for the disgruntled Marty Scurll. All Elite Wrestling and NXT are rumoured to be interested in “The Villain”, and as one of the most talked about wrestlers in the world, the decision was made to capitalise on what - as of the time of recording - would be Marty Scurll’s last scheduled dates with the company. Whether or not that comes to pass, and whether the Main Event of Make The Cut will run as everybody expects, remains to be seen. One thing that is for certain is that the ROH World Championship match is the most talked about contest on the card, with the intrigue in how the final days of Scurll in ROH will go down, coming from all corners of the wrestling community.

Also notable, Marty Scurll suggested that the rest of “Villain Enterprises” would be leaving Ring of Honor with him. Despite this, it has been confirmed that PCO & Brody King are both contracted to the company until the end of 2019, and Flip Gordan is secured until April 2020. Where this leaves them is another question that is set to be answered at Make The Cut, and the television taping that follows.

Beyond the signing of Tom Latimer (to a short-term contact) and the injuries to Bandido and Flamita (who was set to sign full-time), it was another quiet month in Ring of Honor. Shane Taylor’s return surprised some who felt sure he was on his way out of the company, before a shuffle of the deck brought him back into focus. In terms of incomings and outgoing, the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 are expected to be much busier for ROH, with this current period seen very much as the calm before the storm...

20LEgend · August 17, 2019

Make The Cut Match Card

ROH World Championship Match

ROH Women of Honor World Championship Match

ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match

ROH Honor Club Championship Match

Winners Will Face The ROH World Tag Team Champions at Final Battle

SHIMMER Showcase - Winner Will Face The Women of Honor World Champion at Final Battle

Winner Will Face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Make The Cut Match Card

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

christmas_ape · August 17, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

Scurll winning could be a good swerve but I can't see him staying on. So I'm going with the champions all looking strong going into Final Battle

Martel123 · August 17, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

olivertaylor276 · August 17, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

The Lariat · August 18, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

It seems like a lock for Cobb, and it probably is, but on the off chance that Scurll wins and holds the company hostage, I want to say I called it.

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

Hashasheen · August 18, 2019

ROH World Championship - Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

It's time for Scurll to leave on his back. The only question is whether he leaves in a long match or if Jeff Cobb just squashes the shit out of him.

WOH World Championship - Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

Maria isn't the only, if only because you're still relying on SHIMMER talents and haven't built any challengers or retooled the division.

ROH World Six Man Championship - Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

Can't believe you brought in Latimer, or that he somehow gets a title shot. Why isn't this Silas Young and the Beer boys?

ROH Honor Club Championship - Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Gresham is the future. Shelley is the past.

ROH World Tag Team No.1 Contendership - Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

None of these teams thrill me. Fred Yehi has the most upside, but Brody King and PCO could do with a job to the champs and O'Ryan and Marseglia can get them there. Also, King and Marseglia thematically look like they could be a tag team. Just a thought.

WOH World Championship No.1 Contendership - Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Both women have the slight color of WWE on them, but Martinez is a good veteran to lob at the mediocre Klein while you keep planning whatever it is you're planning for the division.

Final Battle with Jushin Liger - Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

Flip Gordon is leaving, he doesn't deserve it. Kenny King is mediocre, he doesn't deserve it. Josh Woods is the youngster, the exact kind of guy who Liger would love to lose to. He's an ROH trainee, the Top Prospect Winner of 2017, a former NCWA wrestler, runs MMA camps. Book it, Legend.

DGenerationMC · August 18, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

Kijar · August 19, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

Hard to pick against the Villain here, but I think Cobb will take it

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

Tom Latimer is a nice addition to the roster

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

Leohunter · August 21, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

Frenchy_Tweest · August 21, 2019

ROH World Championship

Jeff Cobb © vs. Marty Scurll

WOH World Championship

Kelly Klein © vs. Maria Manic

ROH World Six Man Championship

Lethal & Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © vs. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer

ROH Honor Club Championship

Jonathan Gresham © vs. Alex Shelley

Number One Contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championships

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO vs. Fred Yehi & PJ Black vs. The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia

SHIMMER Showcase, Number One Contendership for the WOH World Championship

Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

Winner will face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

20LEgend · August 23, 2019

Ring of Honor: Make The Cut.

Dark Match: Dalton Castle bt. Eli Isom<hr color=black>

Announcers: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman and Colt Cabana - Venue: Manhattan Center (Hammerstein Ballroom) Location: New York City, New York

Winners Will Face The ROH World Tag Team Champions at Final Battle

Match #1 - Brody King & PCO vs. PJ Black & Fred Yehi vs. The Kingdom

The Background: Becoming entwined in a multi-team rivalry in recent weeks, personal issues will only be a secondary concern for the competitors in this match. While Villain Enterprises and Lifeblood’s rivalry has grown to include Black & Yehi and The Kingdom, a shot at the ROH World Tag Team Championships awaits the winning team, and that will be the priority for those involved. Current Champions Rush & Dragon Lee have been given the night off from “Make The Cut”, but will be watching closely, eager to learn who they will defend their titles against at Final Battle. Unlike every other ROH Champion, Dragon Lee & Rush will not represent the company at the year end event, instead representing their home promotion CMLL, against the winning ROH team.

The Result: As expected, the match was extremely chaotic throughout, with lenient enforcement of the rules explained by the fact that there are no DQs or Countouts in a match of this nature. When things slowed down, The Kingdom looked to take advantage, but were eventually the ones who fell to defeat, after Brody King took Vinny Marseglia down. PCO added his trademark Moonsault to secure the victory, Brody King & PCO become the Number One Contenders to the ROH World Tag Team Championships!

The Reasoning: Originally planned to be Flamita and Bandido facing Rush & Lee at Final Battle, plans changed after Flamita suffered an injury prior to signing with the company. Bringing forward the return of David Finlay, the plan was for Lifeblood’s Bandido & Finlay to face Dragon Lee & Rush at Final Battle. When Bandido’s injury brought those plans to an end, the decision was made to forget about replacing them, instead booking the three way tag team match instead. Of the teams left over, Brody King & PCO were deemed the best option, not only because they have been booked more strongly than the other two teams, but also because their story with Marty Scurll (and his apparent departure) has the potential to lead into an interesting build for their Final Battle match with Dragon Lee & Rush.

The Aftermath: The commentators put over the fact that Villain Enterprises had secured the first confirmed spot on the Final Battle card, beginning the night off in impressive fashion for the group. With Marty Scurll having claimed that Villain Enterprises would “cease business relations” with ROH after Make The Cut, Ian, Colt and Caprice wondered how this would be affected by Brody King & PCO having a title shot for the year end show.<hr color=black>

SHIMMER Showcase - Winner Will Face The Women of Honor World Champion at Final Battle

Match #2 - Kimber Lee vs. Mercedes Martinez

The Background: As far as Ring of Honor goes, there was little build for this match other than the announcement that a member of the SHIMMER roster would face the Women of Honor World Champion at Final Battle. The two athletes do have history however, spanning multiple promotions and a number of matches. This was put over prior to the match, with a huge opportunity on the line for both women.

The Result: Sent out to put on their style of match, and showcase their style to the Ring of Honor audience, the intensity of Mercedes Martinez proved the deciding factor. In an open back and forth match, Martinez was able to pick up the victory with a Fisherman Buster. Mercedes Martinez becomes the Number One Contender to the Women of Honor World Championship!

The Reasoning: A fairly straight-forward choice between the two competitors in the match, the decision being made based on who is likely to work better with the winner of Kelly Klein vs. Maria Manic later in the night. Mercedes was always the first choice to be in, and win, this match, with Kimber Lee only being brought in when other options were unavailable.

The Aftermath: Mercedes Martinez stood tall in the ring, the commentators putting over her achievements in her long career. They also spoke about the potential for her to become a World Champion in ROH, one of the biggest honours in her career.<hr color=black>Before the third match of the night, Marty Scurll was interviewed to promote the Main Event, as he faces Jeff Cobb for the ROH World Champion.

Asked about the controversial nature of the match, Marty Scurll was in high spirits, revelling in his plan to rip the core out of Ring of Honor. Surrounded by his Villain Enterprises teammates, Marty laughed about the fact that once the group walked out of Ring of Honor after tonight, there would be no Tag Team Championship match at Final Battle, no World Championship in ROH, and no final opponent for Jushin Thunder Liger. As he said that Scurll turned to Flip Gordon, who walked off… heading to his match up next!<hr color=black>

Winner Will Face Jushin Thunder Liger in his final match in North America at Final Battle

Match #3 - Flip Gordon vs. Josh Woods vs. Kenny King

The Background: As has been a feature of many of Josh Woods’ rivalries in ROH, his title of “Top Prospect Tournament winner” has drawn the attention of Kenny King (and his former partner Rhett Titus). Doing everything the right way, Josh Woods has been targeted for little reason other than the acclaim he’s received, with the veteran King verging on out right bitterness towards the rookie. One thing they do have in common, is the fact they’ve both picked up some impressive victories recently, and have been chosen as two of the three potential opponents for Jushin Thunder Liger’s final North American in-ring appearance at Final Battle.

The Result: Kenny King seemed keen to prove a point to Josh Woods, looking to outwork him throughout the match. This would have been a good tactic, had it not been for the conditioning and resilience of Woods. Of course, there was another competitor involved in the match, Flip Gordon. Gordon eventually picked up the victory by pinning Josh Woods, hitting him with a Shooting Star Press. Flip Gordon will face Jushin Thunder Liger at Final Battle!

The Reasoning: Josh Woods lacked the profile to face Liger in such a significant match, despite being somebody who I could eventually see being one of the core members of the roster. Kenny King would have been a good option, and was considered along with names like Dalton Castle for the role. Flip Gordon was decided as the best choice to face him however, somebody who very much feels part of the core ROH roster, and a big enough name to justify the huge occasion. The win also plays into the ongoing Villain Enterprises storyline.

The Aftermath: The commentators put over the Villain Enterprises situation on commentary, with three quarters of the group now “confirmed” to have matches at Final Battle. This despite claims from Marty Scurll that the whole group would be leaving after Make The Cut. Whether that was the plan or not, Ian Riccaboni was clear that he had it on good authority that Flip Gordon, PCO and Brody King were all contractually obligated to appear at Final Battle. The same couldn’t be said for Marty Scurll however...<hr color=black>With one hour of the show down, attention was set to turn to the four Championship matches on the card. That was until Matt Taven made an unscheduled appearance, making his way down to the ring.

Matt Taven cut a promo bemoaning the fact that he was expected to “Make The Cut” like everybody else. Taven revealed that he had refused to compete in a match tonight, because he thinks it’s time that Ring of Honor was held accountable for his treatment. The gist of Taven’s complaints were that he’d been ROH World Champion for half of the year, and for that reason he shouldn’t have to earn a shot. He claimed to have carried the company on his back, and for that reason felt it was time for him to cash in a favour.

Convinced that Ian Riccaboni has a direct line to ROH management in his headset, Taven called on Riccaboni to get him his answer… right now!

Riccaboni did get up from his seat, taking a microphone and saying that management were expecting this from Taven. Perhaps surprisingly, they agreed with Matt Taven. Feeling that his achievements throughout the year shouldn’t be ignored, Matt Taven would be in action at Final Battle. Taven was pleased about this, but made his demands clear. He reminded everybody that he is an “icon of Ring of Honor” and the leader of the “coolest group in pro-wrestling today”. The leader of The Kingdom was told that his requirements would be more than met by his opponent, with Riccaboni pointing to a graphic that appeared on the big screen…

Matt Taven had got what he wanted, but his face said otherwise. Clearly trying to cover his fear, Taven nodded his head, but wasn’t fooling anybody as he claimed to be ready to show KENTA how ROH has changed since his era...<hr color=black>

ROH Honor Club Championship Match

The Background: When Alex Shelley’s World Championship dream was put on hold after a second failed attempt to win the title at Death Before Dishonor, he set his sights on something else, testing himself against the best of the rest in Ring of Honor. Feeling that iron sharpens iron, Alex Shelley felt his Championship ambitions would stand in better stead, should he square off against as much of the plethora of talent on the roster as possible. This philosophy was one shared by Jonathan Gresham, who is looking to make his mark as the first Honor Club Champion. As a result, when this match was touted, both competitors made their feelings known on social media, with the match being made between two guys who clearly have a lot of respect for each other.

The Result: A long, competitive match which saw both competitors prove something to each other, Jonathan Gresham picked up the victory with a decisive submission, after locking in the Octopus Hold on Alex Shelley.

The Reasoning: While Alex Shelley is a valuable member of the roster, and one of the best talents we have, his role at the moment is to help elevate those talents who we hope to see on his level in the future. Shelley will of course pick up victories in a lot of his matches, and is a reliable and consistent performer, but with the attempt to build Jonathan Gresham as one of the key members of the roster this was a vital win. Continuing to build his reign as Honor Club Champion, this marks one of the biggest victories in Jonathan Gresham’s career, and confirms him as one of the key names to feature on ROH’s side of the Final Battle card.

The Aftermath: With the elbows to the head that accompanied the Octopus Hold, Alex Shelley was understandably a little bit annoyed with Gresham. Coupled with his frustration at losing, things threatened to get heated following the bell. Gresham however spoke calmly and explained himself to Shelley, with the two shaking hands and drawing a line under the matter pretty quickly.<hr color=black>

ROH Women of Honor World Championship Match

The Background: Unstoppable since the moment she stepped foot in a Ring of Honor ring, Maria Manic has dominated everybody who she has crossed paths with in recent months. Having run through every other member of the Women of Honor roster, there was only one person left for her to face. This turned her attention to Kelly Klein, who had been outspoken about Manic’s dishonourable approach to arriving in the company. It wasn’t long until she experienced this first hand, and in the entire build to the match, Kelly Klein has come out on the wrong end of each exchange with the dominant “Maneater”. With a place on the Final Battle card on the line, Kelly Klein faces her biggest challenge as Women of Honor World Champion.

The Result: Maria Manic took control for much of the match, with her aggressive style treading the line with the referee. Managing not to get Disqualified, Manic once again bent the rules, as she looked to set up Kelly Klein with a Double Handed Chokeslam from the apron, to the ringside table. Unfortunately for Manic, Klein was able to escape back into the ring, running the ropes and sending Manic through the table with a Forearm to the back of the head. Unable to return to the ring before the referee’s count, Manic lost via Countout.

The Reasoning: While Maria Manic is somebody who has been booked strongly since her arrival in the company, I’m not convinced that she is yet on the level to become Women of Honor World Champion. We are on the lookout for somebody to take the title from Kelly Klein, but putting it on Manic didn’t feel like a move that would strengthen the division, either in terms of it’s outside perception or from an in-ring perspective. Despite this, Manic’s booking has been protected throughout her run with the company, and the countout - while not ideal, and admittedly rather a cheap way to finish a World Championship match - was a continuation of that. Kelly Klein retains the Championship through the skin of her teeth, setting up a match between Kelly Klein and Mercedes Martinez at Final Battle, which feels like a better matchup than the alternatives.

The Aftermath: Kelly Klein’s celebrations were muted, with the Champion understanding the nature of the victory wasn’t one to shout from the rooftops about. After Klein left the ringside area, Maria Manic returned to her feet, helped by members of the crew. This proved to be a mistake, as those crew members were taken down by a furious Maria Manic. Setting up a table and doing what she had intended to do to Klein to a random staff member, Manic stood tall despite her defeat!<hr color=black>Making an appearance to promote the NWA World Heavyweight Championship match at Final Battle, Nick Aldis was interviewed at the top of the stage.

Nick Aldis spoke about the disrespect shown to him by Jay Briscoe, saying that he can take anything that anybody has to say about him. Where Nick Aldis draws the line is when somebody talks about his title. Aldis puts over the history and prestige of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, vowing that he would fight for that history at Final Battle. As Aldis continued to speak, Mark Briscoe came out and confronted him.

Mark’s speech was barely legible, and it quickly became clear that he was only there as a distraction. Jay Briscoe came out from the back, but wise to this, Colt Cabana left the announcer’s table to confront him.

Colt Cabana held Jay Briscoe back, with a confrontation between all four men expected to result in a huge brawl. Cabana told Briscoe “enough was enough” and that he was going too far. Mark Briscoe looked ready to lunge, but Jay laughed off Cabana’s words. Jay then led his brother to the back, but not before warning Nick Aldis that he was taking his title at Final Battle…<hr color=black>

ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championship Match

The Background: Considering that they appeared on-screen together for the first time this week on ROH TV, it’s safe to say there isn’t a great deal of background to this match, with the challengers seemingly brought together through a joint disdain of everybody else in Ring of Honor. A fairly simple set up, Tom Latimer led the trio in challenging Lethal & Lifeblood, claiming that title shots are just “handed out” in ROH. This proved to be true in their case, but Lethal vowed they’d feel like they’d earned whatever they get, once he, Haskins and Williams had finished with them.

The Result: There was a wild and chaotic feel to this match, with Taylor, Young and Latimer imprinting their style early on, and forcing Lethal and Lifeblood to try and match them. This served the challengers well throughout the match, but eventually the Champions weathered the storm. In the end, it was Shane Taylor who took the fall, taken down following a Lethal Injection from Jay Lethal.

The Reasoning: Clearly a little bit thrown together, the team of Young, Taylor and Latimer were never going to take the titles from Lethal & Lifeblood. This match served to give the Champions a straight-forward first challenge, going up against three men with very different outlooks to them. While we will persist with them, I have always felt the Six Man titles were an unnecessary addition to the company, particularly given the difficulty of building a proper division with them. Nonetheless, I felt the style clash could make for a good match, ahead of the next defence at Final Battle.

The Aftermath: Lethal & Lifeblood stood tall after the match, raising the World Six Man Tag Team titles in the air.<hr color=black>

ROH World Championship Match

The Background: From what could have been a fairly standard World Championship match, recent weeks have seen Marty Scurll’s title challenge become one of the most controversial in Ring of Honor history. Having defeated Jay Lethal to earn the shot, this match was almost cancelled by ROH management, over concerns regarding the contract situation of Marty Scurll. After talks with both Champion and Challenger, the match was made, only for Marty Scurll to reveal his true intention. Signing the contract for the match, but not the one to extend his deal with Ring of Honor, Marty Scurll stated his intention to leave the company after Make The Cut, taking the ROH World Championship with him. Claiming that Villain Enterprises would “cease business relations” with ROH after Make The Cut, the stakes became ever higher, with Jeff Cobb under huge pressure to remain the Champion. Speculation over Marty Scurll’s destination remains the talk of the wrestling business, and a potential victory over the ROH World Champion would make him the hottest commodity in the industry.

The Result: Given the huge stakes on the line, and the big fight feel created beforehand, the Main Event of Make The Cut went over 25 minutes, with a slow build to the big finish. Both sides had opportunity to seal the victory, but couldn’t find the decisive moment. Jeff Cobb had been expected to overcome “The Villain”, but when Marty Scurll managed to hit a back heel kick between the legs of the Champion, the tide changed. The referee had missed the low-blow, and his chances of keeping up with the action became even less likely as PCO and Brody King came down to the ring.

Brody King and PCO distracted the referee, with a huge smirk growing across the face of “The Villain”. Ian Riccaboni was disgusted by the actions of Scurll, who looked close to stealing a victory as he turned his attention to his Umbrella which was on the ringside table. Scurll went to leave the ring and get it, with Jeff Cobb down on the mat holding his groin. Marty didn’t even have to leave the ring, as Flip Gordon joined the rest of the group at ringside…

Gordon told Scurll to stay in the ring, grabbing the Umbrella to hand to the leader of “Villain Enterprises”. With the referee still distracted, and Cobb struggling back to his feet, Ian Riccaboni’s stunned silence summed up the mood. One last twist remained however, as when Marty Scurll grabbed the Umbrella from Gordon, “The Mercenary” refused to let go.

Marty Scurll was confused, but a smirk spread across the face of Flip Gordon. Scurll yanked at the Umbrella, with Gordon only releasing his grip when he could see Jeff Cobb was back to his feet. The momentum of Gordon letting go of the Umbrella sent him flying across the ring, directly into the path of Jeff Cobb. Cobb hit Scurll with a “Tour of the Islands”, at which point PCO and Brody King dropped down from the apron. With the referee’s focus now completely back on the action, he counted the 1… 2… 3!

The Reasoning: Jeff Cobb retaining the Championship over Marty Scurll requires very little reasoning or explanation, but the overall booking of the match perhaps does. With Marty Scurll leaving the company imminently, keeping him strong wasn’t really a concern going into the match. However, a clean loss followed by him leaving the company didn’t do much for anybody either, and would create a stigma around Flip Gordon, Brody King and PCO of being “left behinds”. This way - with Marty Scurll also booked for the block of shows after Make The Cut - we can find a resolution to the Villain Enterprises stable coming to an end, which leaves Brody, PCO and particularly Flip Gordon looking as though their decision to stay and not follow Marty Scurll was self-determined. The storyline will play out to it’s conclusion over the next few episodes of ROH TV, and the finish to the Main Event of “Make The Cut” puts over Flip Gordon as a strong individual going forward in the company, rather than a follower of somebody who moved on to greener pastures.

The Aftermath: Jeff Cobb had no clue what had just happened, or why it had happened, and didn’t seem to care about the internal politics of Villain Enterprises as he raised the ROH World Championship in the air. Commentary felt much the same, a celebratory mood coming over them as Flip Gordon, Brody King and PCO headed to the back.

As “Make The Cut” ended, Marty Scurll began to come around, and was completely dumbfounded as to what had just happened. One thing that was clear, was that he wouldn’t be leaving Ring of Honor with the ROH World Championship, and by the looks of it, he would be leaving without Brody King, Flip Gordan and PCO!<hr color=black>

Quick Results:

[Dark] Dalton Castle bt. Eli Isom (E+)

Villain Enterprises’ Brody King & PCO bt. Fred Yehi & PJ Black and The Kingdom’s TK O’Ryan & Vinny Marseglia to become the Number One Contenders to the ROH World Tag Team Championships (D)

Mercedes Martinez bt. Kimber Lee in a SHIMMER Showcase to become the Number One Contender to the ROH Women of Honor World Championship! (D)

Flip Gordon bt. Kenny King & Josh Woods becoming Jushin Thunder Liger’s final opponent in North America at Final Battle (D)

Jay Lethal, Lifeblood (Haskins & Williams) © bt. Shane Taylor, Silas Young & Tom Latimer to retain the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championships (D+)

Show Rating (D+)

Hashasheen · August 23, 2019

> keeping Flip Gordon

This dynasty has been ruined.

...

More seriously, the decision to keep Flip Gordon, and (ahem) flip Villain Enterprises away from Marty Scurll is both surprising and unsurprising. I guess I'm too willing to burn down the world down, whereas you're clearly being more realistic in what you can achieve in overhauling the company. The direction for Flip moving forward will leave me curious, and him having the 'scalp' of facing Liger for the last time does make sense ... even if I very much disagree with not giving Josh Woods the rub.

The women's division in ROH continues to need a lot of work, as they were distinctly some of the worst matches on the show (though that three way tag didn't outstrip them by much). Gresham continues to be the standout stud of the roster, with even Cobb looking distinctly secondary in terms of potential.

The coming of Kenta (or signing?) bodes well for ROH. It's a particular gripe I had quietly over the last couple of years, as guys like KUSHIDA just up and went to WWE. Going full-time to ROH on a big deal contract could have been an easier way to lose talent, and KENTA as someone with a major ROH legacy could help retool the roster as a top-act heel.

20LEgend · August 25, 2019

> keeping Flip Gordon

This dynasty has been ruined.

...

More seriously, the decision to keep Flip Gordon, and (ahem) flip Villain Enterprises away from Marty Scurll is both surprising and unsurprising. I guess I'm too willing to burn down the world down, whereas you're clearly being more realistic in what you can achieve in overhauling the company. The direction for Flip moving forward will leave me curious, and him having the 'scalp' of facing Liger for the last time does make sense ... even if I very much disagree with not giving Josh Woods the rub.

The women's division in ROH continues to need a lot of work, as they were distinctly some of the worst matches on the show (though that three way tag didn't outstrip them by much). Gresham continues to be the standout stud of the roster, with even Cobb looking distinctly secondary in terms of potential.

The coming of Kenta (or signing?) bodes well for ROH. It's a particular gripe I had quietly over the last couple of years, as guys like KUSHIDA just up and went to WWE. Going full-time to ROH on a big deal contract could have been an easier way to lose talent, and KENTA as someone with a major ROH legacy could help retool the roster as a top-act heel.

Haha, sorry about that, but he has six months left on his deal and I'm going to keep using him (as well as Brody & PCO). I always like to change rosters slowly rather than going with mass changes, so I can give new people their own spotlight for me to establish what I want from them. When I bring too many in, I struggle to juggle it.

Woods doesn't feel ready for me, but I do see a big future for him in the company. Woods vs. Liger didn't feel like a Final Battle match, despite being considered when I decided to bring Liger in. As for the women, I just don't know what to do. I don't wanna use anybody signed to Impact or AEW, so there's not a lot out there. Scrapping the division feels like the wrong move, but would certainly solve the problem hopefully it's just a slow process, and I'll get somewhere eventually...

Gresham is doing well, but individual performance wise Lethal and Shelley have been the stars of the show. Hopefully they can help those around them to reach the level we need to get out of the D/D+ ratings we seem stuck in. Quite a while into the save now, and we're not looking in much better shape ratings wise.

KENTA is somebody I wanted to bring in from the beginning, and while I don't know if he'll be full-time, I definitely want him to be a recurring member of the roster. Somebody with the aura to feel like a big deal in the company, his ROH history obviously playing into that. Hopefully we can get some of the top "free agents" in 2020, even if they eventually move on to the bigger companies.

20LEgend · August 25, 2019

ROH Make The Cut - Television Taping

ROH: Make The Cut Fallout - Television Taping

Heading to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania following the event which set the wheels into motion for the Final Battle card to be built, ROH produced three episodes of their weekly show to air on Charge. With the full card pencilled in (barring injuries), the six weeks before Final Battle were expected to see those who will feature built up heavily, at the expense of those who didn’t “Make The Cut”. With Final Battle scheduled to be the final “new content” produced by ROH in 2019 - and two “Best Of” year end specials planned for the holiday season - focus will turn to plans for 2020, and the refining of the roster going forward. As a result, the next two events are expected to be the last fans will see of a number ROH roster members, with big changes planned.

Episode #1

Following a look back at stills from Make The Cut, Marty Scurll opened the episode in an unscheduled manner, in complete disbelief about what had happened at Make The Cut. Marty Scurll called out PCO and Brody King, asking them for answers, and encouraging them to condemn the actions of Flip Gordon. Not only did they refuse to do that, they also refused to follow Marty out of Ring of Honor, pointing to their World Tag Team Championships match at Final Battle. Scurll seemed intent on leaving alone, before Flip Gordon confronted him in the ring. Gordon challenged Scurll to one final match in ROH, but was quickly rebuked. However, due to the democratic nature of Villain Enterprises, Flip Gordon was joined by PCO and Brody King in voting for the match to take place. Scurll honoured the rules he put in place for the group, and promised to embarrass Flip on his way out of the company…
Kelly Klein bt. Kimber Lee - both in action at Make The Cut, Klein was once again victorious, and Lee once again defeated. At Final Battle, Klein would go one on one with Mercedes Martinez, the woman who pinned Kimber Lee at the previous event.
Maria Manic looked to get back at Kelly Klein, only to be stopped in her tracks by a valiant Sumie Sakai. Sakai caught Manic by surprise, but was ultimately taken down on the ramp by the “Maneater”.
Colt Cabana cut a promo on Jay Briscoe’s match with Nick Aldis at Final Battle, saying that he has known Jay for a long time, but never seen him like this. He said that The Briscoes have completely lost any moral compass they ever had, and were only getting worse…
Fred Yehi & PJ Black bt. Coast 2 Coast - coming back from a defeat at Make The Cut, Yehi & Black impressed against the much more established duo of Ali & LSG.
Jeff Cobb spoke about his match at Make The Cut, saying that he was keeping out of the internal dealings of Villain Enterprises. He was however ready for the match against Lethal & Lifeblood, teaming with Alex Shelley & Jonathan Gresham, that would air in two weeks time.
A video package recapped the moment from Make The Cut where Matt Taven learned that he would be in action at Final Battle. Learning to be careful what you wish for, Matt Taven was surprised when he was told he’d face KENTA, who was making his Ring of Honor return at the event.
Flip Gordon bt. Marty Scurll - with Make The Cut expected to be The Villain’s last appearance with the company, there was still time to squeeze in one last match against his stablemate Flip Gordon. Putting over his former friend on his way out, Marty Scurll tapped out to The Mercenary’s STF (Submit To Flip). Ending the show, Brody King and PCO raised the hand of Flip Gordon, as Marty Scurll said goodbye to Ring of Honor.

<hr color=black>Episode #2

Dalton Castle bt. The Boys - looking to exorcise the demons that have stalled his career in recent months, Dalton Castle’s challenge to The Boys was accepted, with a vicious Castle defeating them in convincing fashion.
After the match, Castle made it clear he feels he should join the winners from Make The Cut on the Final Battle card, after all, he did win the dark match at the event...
A promo recorded in Mexico aired, featuring ROH World Tag Team Champions Dragon Lee & Rush. While the two had not been at Make The Cut, and were not scheduled to appear for another two weeks, they took the time to promote their match with Brody King & PCO at Final Battle. They also confirmed they would be at the next block of ROH shows, looking to tune up ahead of their next title defence.
Further promotion aired for KENTA’s return to ROH at Final Battle, with a Matt Taven interviewed advertised to air before the Main Event.
Mercedes Martinez bt. Thunder Rosa - an opponent that she was no stranger to, Martinez picked up a solid, decisive victory, making Rosa tap out to a Surfboard Dragon Sleeper.
After the match, a scheduled interview with Martinez was cut off by the arrival of Maria Manic. Manic squared up to the Number One Contender, but was once again confronted by Sumie Sakai. This time, Sakai fared much better, but was eventually laid out by the dominant Manic.
Matt Taven was interviewed about his match with KENTA at Final Battle: ROH vs. The World, attempting to appear calm and composed. However, as Taven got deeper into discussions about the match, it became clear that there was a level of intimidation, the facade slipping weeks before the huge one on one clash.
The reveal of Jeff Cobb’s Final Battle opponent was confirmed for next week, before a video package looked at the heated rivalry between Jay Briscoe and Nick Aldis.
Jay Briscoe bt. Colt Cabana - a brutal and convincing victory, Jay Briscoe was relentless as he looked to put down Colt Cabana. Cabana showed incredible fight in lasting as long as he did, but was clearly no match for a focussed and determined Jay Briscoe. After the match, Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe looked to send another message to Nick Aldis, with the NWA World Heavyweight Champion running down to the ring with a Steel Chair. Playing them at their own game, Aldis ran off the challenger and his brother, and was clearly ready for their high-profile showdown at Final Battle!

<hr color=black>Episode #3

Following up the ending of last week’s show, a fired up Nick Aldis was joined by Colt Cabana, as he promoted the NWA World Heavyweight Championship match at Final Battle. Nick Aldis claimed that he was ready for Jay Briscoe, and Colt Cabana backed that assertion up in emphatic fashion.
Brody King & PCO bt. Shane Taylor & Silas Young - tuning up for the challenge of Rush & Dragon Lee at Final Battle, two thirds of the former World Six Man Tag Team Champions picked up a victory. Next week, Dragon Lee & Rush would return to ROH TV.
Flip Gordon cut a promo in the ring, putting over Brody King & PCO, as well as his own Final Battle match, against Jushin Thunder Liger. The final match that Liger would compete in outside of Japan, Gordon said that he was “honoured” to be facing a living legend. With that said, he knew the future was bright for all three men in the ring, appearing to indicate that he would be going his separate ways from the Tag Team title Number One Contenders.
Maria Manic bt. Sumie Sakai - a fired up promo in her native language may have hyped Sakai up before the match, but it wasn’t enough against the powerhouse Manic. Left laying in the ring, despite giving as good as she got, Sakai was just the latest victim of the rising Women of Honor roster member.
Lifeblood & Lethal promoted the Main Event, calling the three men they’d be facing “three of the best wrestlers in the world”. However, when it came to their opponents for Final Battle, they weren’t looking for three individuals to face, but the best unit to challenge for the World Six Man Tag Team Championships.
Another video package looked into the rivalry between Jay Briscoe and Nick Aldis. Looking deeper into the differences between the two sides, it was confirmed that Nick Aldis would face Mark Briscoe on an upcoming episode of ROH TV.
Lethal & Lifeblood bt. Alex Shelley, Jeff Cobb & Jonathan Gresham - proving the words of Lethal & Lifeblood correct before the match, Shelley, Cobb and Gresham didn’t form the best of teams, perhaps each having too much to prove to truly be a team player. The selflessness of Lethal & Lifeblood was key throughout the match, especially as they capitalised on a miscommunication between Shelley & Gresham.
After the match, Jonathan Gresham appeared to blame Alex Shelley for the team’s defeat, despite the Honor Club Champion being the one to suffer the decisive fall. Jeff Cobb was forced to come between the two competitive rivals, before Ian Riccaboni turned his attention to the big screen.

Revealing the challenger to the Ring of Honor World Championship at Final Battle, the initials ZSJ left no doubts as to who would make up the other half of ROH vs. The World’s Main Event in December. This of course took Jeff Cobb completely by surprise, but he soon made it clear that he couldn’t wait for the challenge of Zack Sabre Jr.!

<hr color=black>As the weeks wind down towards the biggest show in the ROH calendar, the Final Battle card has begun to take shape. While a number of other matches are expected to be added, the following are confirmed for the show:

Along with a Six Man Tag Team Championship match and a Honor Club title defence, which would bring the show to 8 matches, it is thought that Dalton Castle would feature (potentially on the pre-show) following his promo on ROH TV. The opponents in those three matches are said to already be confirmed for the event, with the final build to Final Battle “ROH vs. The World” coming at the next block of shows. With just three weeks remaining until the biggest event in the Ring of Honor calendar, a lot of significance has been placed on this show being a success, a key milestone in the “fresh start” that began six months previously. Those within the company are confident in the strength of the Final Battle card, and expect the last show of a tough year for ROH to be a huge step in the right direction. The hope is that should the card deliver as most feel it can, it will provide a springboard to beginning the new decade with newfound momentum, shedding the stigma that has followed Ring of Honor recently...

Hashasheen · August 26, 2019

Haha, sorry about that, but he has six months left on his deal and I'm going to keep using him (as well as Brody & PCO). I always like to change rosters slowly rather than going with mass changes, so I can give new people their own spotlight for me to establish what I want from them. When I bring too many in, I struggle to juggle it.

It's fine, I'm just not a fan of Flip Gordon.

Woods doesn't feel ready for me, but I do see a big future for him in the company. Woods vs. Liger didn't feel like a Final Battle match, despite being considered when I decided to bring Liger in.

I would have gone with Woods to build his pedigree as an old-school style ROH guy, like the 2000s guys who just went over to Japan and fought guest stars all the time. A throwback, if you will.

As for the women, I just don't know what to do. I don't wanna use anybody signed to Impact or AEW, so there's not a lot out there. Scrapping the division feels like the wrong move, but would certainly solve the problem hopefully it's just a slow process, and I'll get somewhere eventually...

Well, maybe you can pick up some lucha lasses somehow?

Gresham is doing well, but individual performance wise Lethal and Shelley have been the stars of the show. Hopefully they can help those around them to reach the level we need to get out of the D/D+ ratings we seem stuck in. Quite a while into the save now, and we're not looking in much better shape ratings wise.

The difference between you and me. I'd can Lethal and Shelley regardless and then get annoyed at my shite ratings.

KENTA is somebody I wanted to bring in from the beginning, and while I don't know if he'll be full-time, I definitely want him to be a recurring member of the roster. Somebody with the aura to feel like a big deal in the company, his ROH history obviously playing into that. Hopefully we can get some of the top "free agents" in 2020, even if they eventually move on to the bigger companies.

If you can get him full-time, I'd say do it. He has the pedigree, the style, the aura... He's the perfect guy to give a three year deal and work around the card however you need him.

DGenerationMC · August 26, 2019

I love this Flip push. IMO that's the guy to build around in this and IRL. If the company loses him, it's screwed in terms of the future. Out of all the non-former champions, Flip probably has a strong connection with the crowd which is kinda rare in 2010s era Ring of Honor. Never thought he'd be heel, but that's just some intrigue to keep an eye on.

Also, I too am pulling for full-time KENTA. A good pickup to go alongside heavy hitters like Cobb and Rush. Things are looking up and I'm excited to see what's next. If Ring of Honor were to take a similar direction IRL, I'd start watching again. Really speaks to the quality of this diary.

20LEgend · August 28, 2019

ROH Final Battle - Main Event Cancelled!

<div style="text-align:center;">Final Battle Main Event Cancelled

Zack Sabre Jr. injured, World Championship Match Pulled.

<img alt="PdKc3yT.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/PdKc3yT.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /><img alt="C48zpWc.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/C48zpWc.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>

This past weekend while working for Revolution Pro Wrestling in the United Kingdom, Zack Sabre Jr. was injured in action during an incredible Main Event. As a result of that injury, Zack Sabre Jr. has been forced to vacate the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship, and will no longer be able to compete at Final Battle: ROH vs. The World. While focus at the moment is only on wishing him a full and quick recovery, Ring of Honor can promised that Zack will be first in line for a ROH World Championship match, upon his return to the ring.

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="VRdqLHS.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/VRdqLHS.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>

As for Final Battle, and the challenger to Jeff Cobb’s title, ROH management are working on bringing in the best possible replacement for the year end event, and hope to give an update as soon as possible. This Saturday, Ring of Honor returns to Chicago, Illinois, where the final three episodes before Final Battle will be recorded. ROH expects to have an announcement regarding Final Battle’s Main Event in time for that event, with Jeff Cobb scheduled to address the situation.

<div style="text-align:center;"><img alt="2XRLNGW.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/2XRLNGW.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div>

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, ROH is determined to make Final Battle a night to remember, the UMBC Event Center in Baltimore, Maryland the venue for the year, and decade end show. ROH will also produce content for the first two months of 2020 in the nights that follow Final Battle, with fallout from the biggest show of the year promising to be just as unmissable as the event itself!

Texasrangers13 · August 28, 2019

Oof! I’ve had that happen a couple of times as well, hate that you have to lose a main event, but love the randomness it adds. Really really love your take on ROH

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