ROH Wrestling: New tag champs, major title bouts for Final Battle, more!

Ring of Honor had a busy past few days. New tag champs were crowned, major title bouts were booked for the Final Battle PPV, and Jay Lethal is in hot water with the Foundation.

ROH will be going on hiatus at the start of 2022 to reimagine the company’s mission and strategy. Before preparing for an unpredictable future, ROH is gearing up for the Final Battle PPV on December 11. A few marquee bouts were announced this week. The current lineup includes:

• ROH World Championship: Bandido (c) vs. Jonathan Gresham
• ROH World Tag Team Championship: OGK (c) vs. Briscoes
• Grudge Match: Shane Taylor vs. Kenny King

The wheels were put in motion at Honor for All last Sunday (Nov. 14).

Jonathan Gresham exited the Pure division that he helped carry and declared his desire to chase the world title. He was given a huge test competing against top-ranked Brody King. King brought violence immediately upon the opening bell by squashing Gresham in the corner and nailing a Ganso bomb.

Gresham survived the early onslaught to work technical strategy. Gresham had success hanging on King’s back for a rear naked choke. That brought the big man down to the mat, where Gresham hammered viciously at the neck. A running forearm to the back of the head cleaned King’s clock for the three count. Upon victory, Gresham turned his eye to world champ Bandido.

As for the luchador, he competed against Demonic Flamita in a no DQ non-title bout. Down the stretch, Flamita hit a low-blow, but Bandido kicked out. As Flamita was doing a headstand on the turnbuckles, Bandido clubbed him between the legs to set up a bridging German suplex for victory.

The world title bout between Bandido and Gresham will be their first singles contest against one another.

In the tag team division, the OGK duo of Matt Taven and Mike Bennett became new champs by dethroning Dragon Lee and Kenny King of Los Ingobernables. OGK received assistance from an unlikely person. Bestia del Ring was meddling with a chair, so former Ingobernable Amy Rose evened the odds by bringing Max the Impaler with her. The distraction allowed OGK to focus on pinning Dragon Lee with the Proton Pack backpack stunner dropkick combo. Taven and Bennett held the titles once again after six years since their previous reign.

That wasn’t the only tag title bout at Honor for All. The Briscoes defended the GCW belts.

The Briscoes originally won gold from Second Gear Crew’s Mance Warner and Matthew Justice. SGC sent Effy and AJ Gray for payback.

SGC were busting up the Briscoes with chairs and tables. Jay Briscoe turned the tide by going wild with a chair. Mark Briscoe landed a froggy bow onto Effy through a table. Jay finished the job with a Jay Driller on Gray for victory. Afterward, the Briscoes extended their hands for the Code of Honor handshake.

Backstage, OGK were honored to possess the ROH belts in uncertain times. The Briscoes approached while eyeing the titles. OGK felt it was only right to battle the greatest tag team in ROH history at Final Battle, so the match was made official.

In other results at Honor for All, Holidead defeated Quinn McKay, Vita VonStarr, and Trish Adora in a four-way. McKay took out Adora on a suicide dive. VonStarr had momentum on a whirling DDT to Holidead, but she missed a handstand splash. Holidead capitalized for a double underhook slam to win. Holidead earned a women’s title shot on the Christmas episode of ROH Wrestling.

Taylor Rust defeated Tracy Williams via Goya lock in a Pure rules contest. This was a surprise upset considering the standing of each man within ROH. Rust is a name on the rise while Williams is an established commodity.

Over on the TV show ROH Wrestling, Vincent started a kerfuffle between Foundation members when he played video of Lethal stating, “I don’t even like the Foundation.”

Lethal claimed the tape was doctored and that he was just repeating what Vincent said. Tracy Williams, Rhett Titus, and Gresham turned their back on Lethal until he can provide evidence to clear his name.

That story may or may not find resolution, because Lethal popped up in AEW after ROH announced their future plans clouded in uncertainty. I hope AEW allows Lethal freedom to pop in real quick, settle the dispute, and be present to cheer on Gresham at Final Battle. Those two pals have too much history together for their story friendship to end on that note.

How’s the Final Battle card stacking up so far to your eye?