Welcome to a YouTube exclusive episode just days before Final Battle!
No cold open, just the intro, and STRAIGHT TO THE RING.
MATCH 1 – The Beast Mortos vs. Gravity
It’s not lost on Ian Riccaboni that Gravity is the brother of ROH World Champion Bandido, with whom Mortos will be in the ring on Friday night. Gravity does not follow the Code of Honor, not trusting Mortos, and his quickness keeps him clear for a bit, but he goes to his slow motion schtick, and Mortos drills him with a shoulder tackle to take over. Ian speculates that LFI has signed this match as a warning to Bandido, as Gravity scores with a nice crucifix bomb for a two count. Gravity gets a dive, but misses a 450 splash. He’s able to dodge a charge from Mortos in the corner, but gets thrown off the top rope, and eats a powerbomb backbreaker and a discus lariat for the pin.
The Beast Mortos pins Gravity with a discus lariat in 4:48.
MATCH 2 – The Frat House (Griff Garrison, Jacked Jameson & Rosario Grillo) vs. Dalton Castle and The Outrunners
Apparently Rosario Grillo is pledging with The Frat House now? Sure, why not. He doesn’t pose with the rest of The Frat House, but they seem upset that he’s on the apron with them? Also, in the course of his entrance, we casually announce that Dalton Castle will be the one to challenge Ricochet for the AEW National Championship. Wasn’t my pick–I was going with Jay Lethal–but a solid choice. I feel like this ends with a Frat House loss and them beating up Grillo, but I guess we’ll see. Grillo tries to attack Floyd from behind and it goes badly for him. Some double teaming ends with a back suplex by Magnum and a short splash by Dalton. Garrison tags in, but wants Magnum. Garrison eats a back elbow and Grillo tags himself in, prompting Jameson to immediately tag himself in instead. Jameson delivers a nice single arm spinebuster, and his commitment to wrestling with the backwards hat on is admirable. Garrison gets a nice big boot and sends Magnum into the corner for more tag silliness with The Frat House, which allows Magnum to tag in Castle, and it’s SUPLEXES FOR EVERYONE. The Frat House bails and, of course, leave Grillo to the wolves. Bodyslam, YOU SON OF A BITCH double elbow and Bangarang finish. Okay, so they didn’t attack him, they just abandoned him. Close enough.
Dalton Castle and The Outrunners def. The Frat House (Castle pins Grillo) after Bangarang in 6:28.
Ian and Caprice run down a couple of big matches on the card for Friday, and I’ll have a complete rundown later in this write-up. Of course there’s Survival of the Fittest for the ROH World Title, but that also includes No. 1 contender to the Pure Title, Komander. He will get his shot at Moriarty at Boxing Day Brawl on Honor Club on Friday, December 26, and if Komander manages to win Survival of the Fittest, it will be World Title vs. Pure Title, for the first time since Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness. Speaking of whom, Nigel will indeed meet Lee Moriarty in a 30 minute Iron Man match at Final Battle, to settle who is the better wrestler between them once and for all!
MATCH 3 – Trish Adora vs. Leila Grey
Trish lost to Deonna Purrazzo in the first round of the Women’s Pure Title tournament and looks to regain some momentum, while Grey is trying to work into title contention, be it Pure, TV, or World. Adora opens with a quick arm drag, and fires off some chops in the corner, but Grey gets a couple low dropkicks and a sling blade to take over. Butterfly lock–looking for Daniels’ Angels Wings? But Adora pushes her back into the corner and uses big strikes. Grey is able to dodge a lariat and hit a crucifix bomb for two. Grey adds a powerslam, and I don’t recall seeing her use that before. Adora slows things down alternating between strikes and stretching Grey. She turns an overhand wrist lock into a slam of sorts, in something I’ve never seen before. Grey fights back with some strikes and a German suplex, with a rising knee, but Adora counters the bulldog with a throw off. Adora hits a spinning uranage backbreaker, and a NASTY release German suplex. The two trade flash pins, until Gray is able to hit a double underhook facebuster for what I’d have to consider an upset win.
Leila Grey pins Trish Adora with a double underhook facebuster in 6:10.
Post-match, a reminder that THIS THURSDAY on Honor Club, it’s the semifinals of the Women’s Pure Title tournament, with Deonna Purrazzo vs. Queen Aminata and Billie Starkz vs. Yuka Sakazaki. And at Final Battle on Friday, it’s Skyflight–Scorpio Sky and Top Flight–challenging Shane Taylor Promotions for the ROH World Six Man Championship.
MATCH 4 – Dark Order vs. Vin Parker, Jimmy House and Jay Alexander
I’m too much an early 2000’s wrestling fan, because I see Vin Parker and I think of former CHIKARA mainstay Vin Gerard. But he retired in 2012 after failing to defeat Eddie Kingston for the CHIKARA Grand Championship and apparently has run IndependentWrestling.TV since 2016. So, you learn something new every day. Let’s see if this match lasts longer than it took me to look that up. Jimmy House denies the Code of Honor to start, prompting Ian to reminisce about Christopher Daniels denying the Code of Honor for the first couple of shows. It was, in fact, the first 99 shows. He first shook hands with Claudio Castagnoli on The 100th Show. Only for Claudio to turn on ROH and throw in with Team CZW. Seriously guys, go check out the CZW feud from around 2006. A ton of fun. These young athletes are giving it a go, but it’s not going well, regardless of pairing. A distraction finally allows Alexander to take over on Reynolds. Alexander distracts referee Mike Posey while his partners hammer away on Reynolds in the corner. Reynolds scores with a cravate suplex and tags out to Uno, who scores a series of corner avalanches and a double DDT on Parker and House. The triple team is underway, Silver scores with a running Destroyer, and Dark Order’s elevated crucifix slam gets the win.
Dark Order def. Vin Parker, Jimmy House & Jay Alexander (Silver pins Parker) via crucifix slam in 4:27.
Backstage, Lexy Nair is with Leila Grey and Zayda Steel, who fresh off her WWE ID deal going kaput is in ROH! Steel says she has a lot of respect for Grey and would love a match, and it’s on. Speaking of the women’s division, we’ve got Mercedes Mone making her ROH debut at Final Battle, as she defends the Women’s World TV Title against former champion Red Velvet. Plus, Ricochet becomes the first AEW champion to defend their title in ROH as he defends the National Championship against Dalton Castle. And the Tag Team Titles are held up, as the LFI duo of Sammy Guevara and The Beast Mortos take on “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington and Adam Priest battle for the belts. Athena will defend the Women’s World Title against CMLL’s Persephone, and of course, in what Ian has said is the main event, Survival of the Fittest will, for the first time ever, decide the ROH World Title, as Bandido defends against Sammy Guevara, Komander, The Beast Mortos, Blake Christian, and Hechicero. But now it’s main event time!
MATCH 5 – Diamante vs. Persephone
Diamante recently aligned with Athena, and is clearly looking to soften up Persephone ahead of Final Battle. Code of Honor is followed, and Diamante grabs a side headlock and waistlock. That gets her nowhere, but a shot to the back of the head works a bit better. Diamante tries to be quicker, but Persephone’s power keeps her in control. Diamante hangs her up in the rope and drops her on the apron before a low dropkick sends Persephone to the floor. Diamante follows with a hurricanrana off the apron and a shotgun dropkick into the barricade. Back in, Diamante rakes Persephone across the ropes and a mounted ten punch in the corner, followed by a bite to the head. But Persephone dodges a corner charge, hits a shotgun dropkick into the corner, and double knees with Diamante draped across the second rope. Diamante is able to counter a wheelbarrow lift into a stunner for two. Diamante is able to counter a crucifix powerbomb into a frankensteiner for two. She scores with a Code Red for two, but Persephone gets in the ropes. Diamante tries for another, but Persephone counters with a throw off, and a spear, before a moonsault finishes.
Persephone pins Diamante via moonsault in 6:27.
Post-match, Athena comes out for the staredown, but Diamante tries to attack. Persephone fights her off, fights off Athena as well, and gets the champ up for the crucifix powerbomb before Diamante saves and they run off. Persephone poses with the ROH Women’s World Title belt as Ian wishes us HAPPY WRESTLING, EVERYBODY!
THE NUMBERS
Total Episode Time: 45:20
Total Match Time: 28:28 (62.7%)
Average Match Time: 5:42
CURRENT FINAL BATTLE CARD
- Ricochet(c) vs. Dalton Castle – AEW National Championship
- Winner of Deonna Purrazzo vs. Queen Aminata vs. Winner of Billie Starkz vs. Yuka Sakazaki – Women’s Pure Title Tournament Finals
- Athena(c) vs. Persephone – ROH Women’s World Title
- Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor & The Infantry) vs. Skyflight (Scorpio Sky & Top Flight) – ROH World Six Man Titles
- Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Red Velvet – ROH Women’s World TV Title
- LFI (Sammy Guevara & The Beast Mortos) vs. Tommy Billington & Adam Priest – ROH World Tag Team Titles
- Lee Moriarty vs. Nigel McGuinness – 30 Minute Iron Man Match
- Bandido(c) vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Komander vs. Blake Christian vs. Hechicero vs. The Beast Mortos – ROH World Title, Survival of the Fittest Match
