- Ring of Honor returns to Richmond at the Greater Richmond Convention Center THIS Saturday and “The Battle of Richmond” keeps getting bigger and better! Announced yesterday, The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King) versus Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas) bout will now be for the World Tag Team Championship! At the time that this match was signed there were no championship titles around the waist of either team. But that all changed at “Border Wars” when Haas & Benjamin defeated The Briscoes in a Fight Without Honor to capture the World Tag Team Titles for the second time. As a result of that victory, combined with the fact that ANX has been waiting for a title match since defeating WGTT in a Proving Ground match last year during Charlie & Shelton’s first reign AND that ANX holds another victory over WGTT from the “10th Anniversary Event”, the decision was made by ROH officials to make their scheduled bout for Richmond THIS Saturday for the gold! And after what will definitely be a hard fought title contest, Haas is scheduled to come back out alone after the main event and fight Jay Briscoe in an Unsanctioned Fight! Jay wanted to fight Haas as soon as possible after what happened at “Border Wars” and he got his wish. There will be no countouts or disqualifications and the fight can only end via pinfall, submission, or knockout! ROH has agreed to provide a referee for the fight, at the expense of Jay Briscoe, but beyond that ROH will not provide any of our traditional lighting or music or anything else that gives the impression this fight is sanctioned by Ring of Honor. This is sure to be a fight that you don’t want to miss and when you add in the volatility of the new ROH World Champion and the rest of the lineup, you have a highly intriguing card that could have people talking for a long time! Tickets will be available at the door!!!
- ROH returns to The Du Burns Arena THIS Friday night, May 18th, for another round of “Ring of Honor Wrestling” TV Tapings as well as a special match that will be taped EXCLUSIVELY for internet broadcast! Given the current state of Ring of Honor with Kevin Steen as champion this will be the most unpredictable set of tapings to date!
- And we want all you great fans in Baltimore to join us at The Gin Mill located at 2300 Boston Street in Canton, MD for our after party! Check out their website right here!
- Speaking of this weekend’s events, it was previously announced that The All Night Express & Maria Kanellis would take part in a Meet & Greet THIS Saturday night in Richmond prior to the start of the event. Well now the new Ring of Honor World Champion Kevin Steen has DEMANDED that he also take part in the Richmond Meet & Greet fans or, as he said to ROH officials, “there will be hell to pay”. In addition, Kevin has also demanded to have HIS OWN Meet & Greet session in Baltimore on Friday night. Now ROH officials do not generally set-up these sessions at “Ring of Honor Wrestling” TV tapings but again, given that Kevin is the new champion, they have agreed to allow him this Meet & Greet. Being that Steen is the new ROH World Champion we feel it is in our best interest at the moment to acquiesce to the ROH World Champion’s request since it seems harmless enough. Add Steen to ANX and Maria Kanellis who will be appearing to Meet and Greet fans before the event in Richmond!
- Just released this week during “Tuesday Rollout”: “Ring of Honor: Year One” 2-Disc DVD Set! Featuring classic bouts from 2002 including the first main event, the crowning of the first ROH Champion, Briscoe vs. Briscoe, Eddie Guerrero in action, and more! Get your copy of that as well as the new “ROH Canada” Logo T-Shirt here!
- Ring of Honor debuts at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia on Friday, June 15th and our TV cameras will be on hand to tape “Road Rage”! In breaking news The ROH World Championship will be defended by “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare” Kevin Steen for the first time in Charleston. ROH officials are still in the process of determining the first challenger to Kevin Steen and have narrowed it down to 3 men: Former ROH World Champion Davey Richards, Former ROH World Champion Eddie Edwards, and Former ROH World Champion and current ROH TV Champion Roderick Strong. ROH officials plan on finalizing the match soon and Steen’s first challenger will be announced next week! Who would you like to see challenge Steen first?
- “The Belfast Bruiser” Fit Finlay returns to Ring of Honor on June 24th at “Best in the World 2012” from The Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC and everyone is buzzing about his scheduled bout with “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin! Elgin continues to impress with unbelievable feats of strength and a consistent winning record in Ring of Honor but he has never faced a man with the experience or precision as Finlay. This is planned to be a brutal hard hitting affair that will best be experienced live and in person on Sunday, June 24th on 34th Street in downtown New York! Tickets on sale here!
- This week on “RING OF HONOR WRESTLING” Television you will see The All Night Express settle their feud against The Young Bucks in an elimination match! In addition, “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett with Maria Kanellis and Brutal Bob faces “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards, plus Grizzly Redwood will be in action! Click here to see if ROH airs in your area.
- The latest edition of “RING OF HONOR WRESTLING” Television is available to GA Members by clicking here and it’s absolutely FREE! The main event features Rhino taking on ROH World Champion Davey Richards in a Proving Ground Bout! Also, representatives from CHIKARA are in Trios Action as The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, & Green Ant) battle Ophidian & Los Ice Creams! Plus former ROH World TV Champion Jay Lethal faces a former ROH World Tag Team Champion in “Cuban Crippler” Ricky Reyes and Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team will be in action!
- The ROH Academy will be resuming new classes in Bristol, PA later this year. Details on enrollment will be available soon!
- The ROH World Championship match from “Border Wars” will be featured on a “Road Rage” edition of “Ring of Honor Wrestling” at the end of May.
- Speaking of “Border Wars”, the high resolution replay is NOW available for viewing. If you haven’t seen it yet you can order the replay of this unbelievable card by clicking here.
- Be sure to Like Ring of Honor on Facebook, Follow Ring of Honor on Twitter, Watch Ring of Honor Videos on YouTube, and sign up for the Ring of Honor Newsletter by clicking here!
It was previously announced that The All Night Express & Maria Kanellis would take part in a Meet & Greet THIS Saturday night in Richmond prior to the start of the event.
Well now the new Ring of Honor World Champion Kevin Steen has DEMANDED that he also take part in the Richmond Meet & Greet fans or, as he said to ROH officials, “there will be hell to pay”.
In addition, Kevin has also demanded to have HIS OWN Meet & Greet session in Baltimore on Friday night. Now ROH officials do not generally set-up these sessions at “Ring of Honor Wrestling” TV tapings but again, given that Kevin is the new champion, they have agreed to allow him this Meet & Greet.
Being that Steen is the new ROH World Champion we feel it is in our best interest at the moment to acquiesce to the ROH World Champion’s request since it seems harmless enough.
Add Steen to ANX and Maria Kanellis who will be appearing to Meet and Greet fans before the event in Richmond! Get your tickets right here! And for Baltimore you can grab your tickets right here or at the door on Friday! Just make sure you get to both events early to meet the stars of ROH!!!
The match was set several weeks ago, The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King) versus Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas), but at the time there were no championship titles around the waist of either team. But that all changed at “Border Wars” when Haas & Benjamin defeated The Briscoes in a Fight Without Honor to capture the World Tag Team Titles for the second time.
As a result of that victory, combined with the fact that ANX has been waiting for a title match since defeating WGTT in a Proving Ground match last year during Charlie & Shelton’s first reign AND that ANX holds another victory over WGTT from the “10th Anniversary Event”, the decision has been made by ROH officials to make their scheduled bout for Richmond THIS Saturday a World Tag Team Championship Match!!!
“Damn right.” said a noticeably frustrated Kenny King to ROHWrestling.com, “It’s been a long time coming, this title match. From the night we earned this shot beating Haas and Benjamin, through the Young Bucks trying to take Rhett out, him coming back from surgery, putting a whooping on WGTT again in New York, then taking out the Jackson boys, it’s about damn time. This is what we’ve been waiting for, for months now, since we lost in Chicago last year, this second chance is what we’ve been waiting for. There ain’t no slipping in this one, no chance in hell we ain’t walking away with those titles finally belonging to ANX. Me and Rhett, we promised ourselves along time ago we would make this happen and I have to admit we broke that promise, hurts like hell to admit that too. So this time, this time, there’s no losing, there’s no coming up short, this time Charlie and Shelton, the All Night Express runs right over your asses and closes the book on your second title run right quick.”
Recent history, that ethereal concept of momentum, it all weighs in the favor of Rhett Titus and Kenny King. Can they finally achieve their dream and capture the ROH World Tag Team Titles this Saturday night in Richmond? Be there live to find out!!! Tickets are available right here or get them at the door!
- Kevin Steen is unfortunately the new ROH World Champion after defeating Davey Richards last Saturday at “Border Wars” in Toronto.
Steen is now the 17th ROH World Champion and was very impressive by defeating one of the toughest men in the sport today. With the ROH Championship in the hands of this mad man, there is no doubt that the live events this weekend in Baltimore and Richmond will be completely unpredictable.
- This week’s “Tuesday Rollout” went old school with “Ring of Honor: Year One”! This 2-Disc DVD set features classic match-ups from 2002 including the first ever main event with Bryan Danielson vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki, the crowning of the first ROH Champion, the debut of Samoa Joe, and so much more. Also released today, the “ROH Canada” Logo T-Shirt that was on sale at “Border Wars”! You can get these two new items, along with all the other great recent releases, right here!
- Once again we would like to say how frustrated we are for everyone by the iPPV issues last Saturday and we can’t apologize enough. The issues were unacceptable to you, the fans, and we owe you and will make good to each and every one of you. As of right now, the replay is available on rohwrestling.com. As the higher quality versions are available, we will replace the file with them as well. In addition, each person that bought “Border Wars” live will receive “Best in the World 2012”, absolutely free. If is not sufficient, we will gladly offer a refund instead. All refund requests should be directed to help@rohwrestling.com with the subject header: BW Refund. For “Best in the World 2012”, we WILL work out any and all kinks. We will test several times, including in an actual PPV replicated environment, and will ask for all of your assistance in doing this. There is nothing more that we want than to bring our fans the BEST internet pay per view experience each and every time. Thank you for your understanding and continued support! We love you and we are left with a great stream that our fans can not see. If a refund is demanded, it WILL be given. Otherwise we would like to offer full retention of the replay for “Border Wars” as well as FREE access to the “Best in the World 2012” iPPV on June 24th for anyone who ordered “Border Wars” Saturday. This will also include retention of the “Best in the World 2012” iPPV in your myPPV accounts. We WILL get this right no matter what it takes in time for “Best in the World 2012”.
- Despite the technical difficulties, “Border Wars” will go down as one of the greatest Ring of Honor events of all time! You definitely want to see this event from top to bottom and words can’t express how great the fans of Toronto were last Saturday! The atmosphere was electric and the matches were awesome! Be sure to order the replay now!
- Multiple matches were announced today for our return to Baltimore THIS Friday night, May 18th! Including a World TV Title match, as well as an interview with the brand new World Champion, this taping has the potential to be a classic! Read all the details here!
- Also announced today for “Best in the World 2012”, “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin takes on “Belfast Bruiser” Fit Finlay live on iPPV!
- This Saturday night in Richmond has heated up as Jay Briscoe will battle Charlie Haas in an Unsanctioned Lights Out fight! This match was announced as a result of the horrible ending to the Tag Team Title encounter at “Border Wars” when Haas put Mark Briscoe out with an ether soaked rag. After the match last Saturday Jay Briscoe confronted ROH officials in the locker room of The Ted Reeve Arena and said he wanted to fight Haas as soon as possible. ROH officials agreed to give Jay that chance soon but it would definitely NOT be sanctioned by Ring of Honor for liability. There will be no countouts or disqualifications and the fight can only end via pinfall, submission, or knockout! ROH has agreed to provide a referee for the fight, at the expense of Jay Briscoe, but beyond that will not provide any of our traditional lighting or music or anything else that gives the impression this fight is sanctioned by Ring of Honor. In fact, this unsanctioned match will take place AFTER the announced main event between new ROH World Champion Kevin Steen/Jimmy Jacobs as they take on Davey Richards/Kyle O’Reilly! If you choose to stick around after the main event this Saturday be aware that viewer discretion is advised!
- Steve Corino shocked everyone by embracing Kevin Steen after his World Title win last Saturday at “Border Wars”. Everyone is waiting to hear what Steve Corino has to say about what happened in Toronto. We expect Steve to speak out on the situation this Friday in Baltimore at the Du Burns Arena.
- “The Dominant Male” Tommaso Ciampa suffered his first loss last Saturday since entering ROH over a year and a half ago. Jay Lethal gained retribution on Ciampa for costing him the TV Title by taking Ciampa’s undefeated streak away from him. Ciampa immediately left the Ted Reeve Arena in a rage after the bout last Saturday and has yet to be heard from by The Embassy or anyone else from ROH. Despite Ciampa’s unstable attitude, it is a true testament to his ability that he was able to remain undefeated for so long in such a vast pool of competition.
- The latest edition of “Ring of Honor” Television is available to Ringside Members by clicking here. The main event is huge as Rhino takes on ROH World Champion Davey Richards in a Proving Ground Bout! Also, representatives from CHIKARA are in Trios Action as The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, & Green Ant) battle Ophidian & Los Ice Creams! Plus former ROH World TV Champion Jay Lethal faces a former ROH World Tag Team Champion in “Cuban Crippler” Ricky Reyes and Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team will be in action!
- This week on “Ring of Honor Wrestling” TV you will see The All Night Express settle their feud against The Young Bucks in an elimination match! In addition, “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett with Maria Kanellis and Brutal Bob faces “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards, plus Grizzly Redwood will be in action! Click here to see if ROH airs in your area.
- Ring of Honor debuts at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia on Friday, June 15th and you can expect a loaded lineup with all of the ROH stars! Our TV cameras will be on hand to tape “Road Rage” and ROH officials are in the process of signing some big matches that will be announced this week! Get your tickets right here and be a part of the electrifying atmosphere up close and personal.
- Be sure to Like Ring of Honor on Facebook, Follow Ring of Honor on Twitter, Watch Ring of Honor Videos on YouTube, and sign up for the Ring of Honor Newsletter by clicking here!
Kevin Steen posted the following comments to his official website www.killsteenkill.com about winning the ROH World Championship:
“I’ve been sitting in front of the computer for about a half hour trying to come up with something to write…It’s 5:26 am right now and I can honestly say that I am at a loss for words. That doesn’t happen to me too often.
I really wanted something special to put up on the website, a statement about the title win or something like that.
The truth is, I’m too tired to come up with anything good.
The last 48 hours have been exhausting. Winning the ROH title was a truly unique moment. Being the ROH and PWG World champion, as well as one half of the PWG tag team champions, is really cool. But so much happened on Saturday that I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it all right now.
So I will leave you all with this…
This will be special…this will be unlike anything you’ve seen so far. I don’t know what I’ll do or how I’ll make it so but I’ll damn sure come up with something. It’s what I do. I thrive to be different and I can’t wait for what’s coming…
As amazing as winning the ROH World Championship was, I refuse to let it be the highlight of my career. What this is, is the beginning of the next chapter of my career…
Kevin Steen spoke with Live Audio Wrestling (The LAW) shortly after winning the ROH World Championship this past Saturday night and here is the video of the interview:
ROH returns to The Du Burns Arena THIS Friday night, May 18th, for another round of “Ring of Honor Wrestling” TV Tapings as well as a special match that will be taped EXCLUSIVELY for internet broadcast! Here’s what’s on tap so far:
- An interview with the new ROH World Champion “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare” Kevin Steen
- ROH World TV Title Match: Roderick Strong w/ Truth Martini vs. Tommaso Ciampa with The Embassy
- The All Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus) vs. Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander
- “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards vs. Brutal Bob
- “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin vs. Matt Taven
- Adam Cole vs. “No Fear” Mike Mondo
- Plus there will be a special match taped for the INTERNET ONLY to determine a challenger for the World Title on 6/30 in Pittsburgh, PA.
4 men will be selected out of 8 in a random drawing to compete in a 4-Way Elimination Bout to determine who will get a shot at the ROH World Championship in Pittsburgh.
The 8 Wrestlers selected for the random drawing are…
- “American Wolf” Davey Richards
- “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards
- Adam Cole
- ROH World TV Champion Roderick Strong
- “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett
- Jay Lethal
- “The Dominant Male” Tommaso Ciampa
- “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin
This one has big ramifications for the coming months of ROH and you can be there live and in person! Tickets are available right here or you can get them at the door THIS Friday night!
After a phenomenal outing against ROH World TV Champion Roderick Strong at “Border Wars” (available here), “The Belfast Bruiser” Fit Finlay returns to Ring of Honor on June 24th at “Best in the World 2012” airing live on iPPV from The Hammerstein Ballroom! But it looks like his dance with The House of Truth is far from over…
“Fit Finlay”, offered Truth Martini, “You were an impressive specimen in Toronto but not impressive enough to defeat the only Triple Crown champion in ROH history that matters, the current TV Champion, the Messiah of the Backbreaker, the leader of Camp Strong, the hardest chopping man in wrestling, Roderick Strong! You probably thought you were free and clear of the HoT didn’t you? That your life would suddenly get easier now that Roderick had beaten you? Well just like so many men before you Fit Finlay, you are dead wrong. At the biggest iPPV of the summer you will have to face the indomitable will, the untouchable power, the unimaginable agility, of the Unbreakable Michael Elgin!”
As evident in Toronto, Fit Finlay loves to fight and is willing to throw down with any man put into the ring across from him, it’s what he has been doing for years, and doing quite well at that. Yet even with as world traveled as Finlay is, one has to wonder if he has ever crossed paths with a man such as Michael Elgin. He is a rare combination of power and speed, of strength and agility wrapped up in the iron-clad will of body built like a tank.
Yet, even with those attributes and with the high-level of competition he has faced since joining ROH, it is doubtful that Elgin has squared off with any man with the level of experience & knowledge of a man like Finlay. “Unbreakable” has faced serious competition in his ROH tenure, men like Chris Hero, Steve Corino, Eddie Edwards, and Davey Richards, and either defeated them or forced them to dig to new depths to win, but none of those men have the resume of Fit Finlay. World Title challenge aside, this is the biggest test Elgin has faced in his wrestling career….
Fit Finlay vs. Michael Elgin, June 24th at “Best in the World 2012” from NYC!!! Tickets are available right here and the iPPV broadcast will be available to order here shortly!
2002 marked the birth of something special in professional wrestling, something that took the best wrestlers from across the country, brought them all into one place, and allowed them to compete to the absolute best of their abilities. That something was Ring of Honor and this is a look at the bouts that started it all!
From the epic main event of “The Era of Honor Begins” featuring Low Ki, Bryan Danielson, and Christopher Daniels through Xavier vs. Paul London at “Final Battle 2002, that first year of ROH was only a sign of the amazing decade that was to come. Be it Samoa Joe or Homicide, Jay & Mark Briscoe or Spanky, the talent that helped establish Ring of Honor in its infancy still stands as some of the best wrestlers to ever enter the ring and these are the matches that established them as such.
This 2-Disc collection contains 17 matches, many unavailable for several years, showcasing the genesis of Ring of Honor; welcome to “Year One”…
Disc 1
1. Low Ki vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Bryan Danielson…The Era of Honor Begins 2/23/02
2. Low Ki vs. Bryan Danielson…Round Robin Challenge 3/30/02
3. Low Ki vs. AJ Styles…A Night of Appreciation 4/27/02
4. Eddie Guerrero & The Amazing Red vs. The SAT…A Night of Appreciation 4/27/02
5. Low Ki vs. The Amazing Red…Road to the Title 6/22/02
6. Christopher Daniels vs. Low Ki vs. Spanky vs. Doug Williams (ROH Title/60 Minute Iron Man Match)…Crowning A Champion 7/27/02
7. Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe…Honor Invades Boston 8/24/02
Disc 2
8. Low Ki vs. Xavier (ROH Title Match)…Unscripted 9/21/02
9. Paul London vs. Michael Shane (Steet Fight)…Unscripted 9/21/02
10. Bryan Danielson & Michael Modest vs. Christopher Daniels & Donovan Morgan (ROH Tag Team Title Tournament Finals)…Unscripted 9/21/02
11. Samoa Joe vs. Low Ki…Glory By Honor 10/5/02
12. Bryan Danielson vs. AJ Styles (#1 Contender’s Trophy Match)…All Star Extravaganza 11/9/02
13. Low Ki & Steve Corino vs. Shinjiro Ohtani & Masato Tanaka…All Star Extravaganza 11/9/02
14. The SAT, Amazing Red & Divine Storm vs. Special K of Joey Matthews, Deranged, Sim J, Izzy & Angeldust (Scramble Match)…Scramble Madness 11/16/02
15. Xavier vs. AJ Styles (ROH Title Match)…Night of the Butcher 12/7/02
16. Bryan Danielson vs. Paul London (#1 Contenders Trophy Match)…Night of the Butcher 12/7/02
17. Xavier vs. Paul London (ROH Title Match)…Final Battle 2002 12/28/02
Check out the Brand New “ROH CANADA” T-Shirt. This is a Limited edition shirt produced exclusively for the “Border Wars” show in Toronto, Ontario. Available in sizes S-2XL
On Saturday night during “Border Wars”, Jay & Mark Briscoe defended their ROH World Tag Titles against Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin in a Fight Without Honor. It would be their last championship match against one another and it would be fought without the slightest bit of rules or regulations.
After a hotly contested battle that saw blood spilt from the head of Charlie Haas, Jay Briscoe was incapacitated when Shelton dropped him through a table, leaving Haas to used an ether soaked rag to essentially put Mark to sleep and allow WGTT to claim the tag titles for a second time. The means, although dubious even for a Fight Without Honor, were perfectly legal for the match stipulation but left a hugely sour taste in the mouths of the former champions.
Following the contest, Jay Briscoe confronted ROH officials in the locker room of The Ted Reeve Arena and, in words that are not fit to print here, demanded that he get a chance to “whoop Charlie’s ass” asap. When informed that there was no way he & Mark would get another title shot against WGTT, Jay only got further riled up and said he didn’t care about the belts right now, didn’t care if Ring of Honor sanctioned the fight, he would just take Haas out now.
In an attempt to calm the situation down, and prevent any locker room violence in Toronto, ROH officials agreed to give Jay that chance soon but it would definitely NOT be sanctioned by Ring of Honor and it would definitely not happen on TV since a Baltimore taping is our next scheduled event.
So a compromise was reached and in Richmond, this Saturday night, Jay Briscoe will fight Charlie Haas in an Unsanctioned fight! No countouts, no disqualifications, the “match” can only end via pinfall, submissions, or knockout! ROH has agreed to provide a referee for the fight, at the expense of Jay Briscoe, but beyond that will not provide any of our traditional lighting or music or anything else that gives the impression this fight is sanctioned by Ring of Honor.
In fact, this unsanctioned match will take place AFTER the announced main event between new ROH World Champion Kevin Steen/Jimmy Jacobs as they take on Davey Richards/Kyle O’Reilly!
Jay Briscoe vs. Charlie Haas! Unsanctioned Fight! It will take place this Saturday night, May 19th, in Richmond and you can get your tickets here!!
This past Saturday at ROH Border Wars Kevin Steen defeated Davey Richards to become the new ROH World Champion. Shortly after he posted this photo of himself with the title on his Twitter (@KILLSTEENKILL) page:
* The All Night Xpress and TJ Perkins defeated The Young Bucks and Mike Mondo after Perkins hit a 450 Splash on Matt to get the win.
* Jay Lethal defeated Tommaso Ciampa (with Embassy Ltd) with the Lethal Combination.
* Lance Storm defeated Mike Bennettwith a superkick. Storm thanked the crowd after the match, and said it meant a lot to him to return in Toronto.
* Michael Elgin defeated Adam Cole (with Truth Martini) with a sit out power bomb.
* Roderick Strong defeated Fit Finlay with a boot to the head to retain the ROHTV title.
* Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin defeated The Briscoes to become the new ROH Tag Team Champions.
* Kevin Steen (with Jimmy Jacobs) defeated Davey Richards with a package piledriver to become the new ROH World Champion. Steve Corino came into the ring after the match to celebrate with Steen and Jacobs.
This Saturday night, May 12th, Ring of Honor makes our return to Toronto & The Ted Reeve Arena for the first time in over a year! It’s been too long and we are unbelievably excited to finally get back to The Great White North, and we are bringing with us one of the most loaded events in ROH’s history! Every championship is up for grabs, legends are making their return or stepping into the ROH ring for the first time, grudges are coming to the forefront, and it will all be live on iPPV right here!!! Let’s take a look at the line-up:
ROH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Davey Richards defends his championship against “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare” Kevin Steen
The history between these two warriors is rich & deep, dating back to 2009 when The American Wolves were embroiled in a war over the ROH World Tag Team Titles with Kevin Steen & El Generico that culminated in Ladder War II at “Glory by Honor VIII”, a war that The Wolves won.
But this issue centering around the World Title…this one has been brewing, in some ways, since the day Kevin Steen involved himself following Davey’s title defense at “Glory by Honor X” against El Generico. Steen, banned from Ring of Honor at the time, was in attendance as a fan, ticket in hand, but after being tossed out of the building earlier in the night for interference, chose to return and attack Generico and Davey both before being dragged out by security when Jimmy Jacobs & Steve Corino also hit the ring to fend off Kevin.
At “Final Battle 2011”, after defeating Corino in a violent war, Kevin earned his way back into Ring of Honor and almost immediately let it be known his sights were set on Davey Richards, verbally assaulting both he & Eddie Edwards following their championship match later that night. For the next several months, be it verbally or physically, Steen continued to make it known he was coming for Davey while simultaneously running down Jim Cornette at every opportunity. Steen again interrupted the aftermath of one of Davey’s matches, this time following the “Young Wolves Rising” tag team contest at the “10th Anniversary Event”, essentially spoiling Adam Cole’s moment of victory, having pinned the World Champion that night.
But it all came to a head at the “Border Wars” press conference when Steen crashed the proceedings and demanded a title match against Richards, one that Cornette was very reticent to allow until Richards demanded it to happen, guaranteeing success, and also demanding the Package Piledriver, banned since the beginning of the year, also be reinstated for this fight. Cornette relented, making the match official, but a short time later, while having both Davey & Steen sign a wavier of liability, included a stipulation that this would be Kevin’s one and only opportunity at the championship.
There’s no doubt that Davey will be in hostile territory on Saturday, fighting Kevin in his home country, but for almost a year since he captured the championship, Richards has fought his heart out regardless of the opponent, the location, or the fans. He has gotten off a plane from Japan, headed straight to training, than made the drive to the events to defend his title. He is truly relentless in his pursuit of being the best and adamant that Steen will have to essentially kill him to beat him. Davey has willingly taken the weight of the world on his shoulders in this title match, offered himself up as the man to stop “Wrestling’s Worst Nightmare”, and now has the expectations of Jim Cornette & ROH officials hanging over him as well. But if Davey has proved anything since rebounding from his “Final Battle 2010” World Title loss, and fighting on to capture the championship at “Best in the World 2011”, it’s that his focus is pure and his will indomitable.
This is without a doubt the most anticipated ROH World Title match in a long time and it has the very real possibility to change the face of Ring of Honor…
ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
ROH World TV Champion Roderick Strong w/ Truth Martini defends against “Belfast Bruiser” Fit Finlay
Roderick Strong captured the ROH World TV Title at “Showdown in the Sun – Day 2” from Jay Lethal, making him only the 2nd man to claim the ROH Triple Crown in the 10 year history of the company. To say this boosted his already exaggerated ego would be an understatement, and his successful defense of the title against Adam Cole, the man who pinned Davey Richards weeks earlier, only made it worse. But not Strong must contend with one of the hardest hitting men to ever grace the squared circle, Fit Finlay! His is a career built on a love of fighting, a career that has taken him around the world and allowed him to battle the best wrestlers that have ever laced up their boots across decades. The physicality of both men involved in this battle is off the charts, both seem to have a genuine love for hurting their opponents, and both men are known for the viciousness of their strikes. Finlay’s world-wide experience, his own championship successes over the years, those accolades have earned him this title opportunity in Toronto but he will have to put in the fight of his life to wrest the belt from Strong’s possession…and there is always the presence of Truth Martini & Michael Elgin that must be of concern as well.
FIGHT WITHOUT HONOR FOR THE ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Jay & Mark Briscoe defend vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin)
It’s been over a year since these two teams first locked up at the “9th Anniversary Show” in a fight to determine a #1 Contender for the tag titles then held by The Kings of Wrestling. At the time the mentality of both teams were very different, it was an affair of sportsmanship that showcased the ROH tag team division’s competitiveness, and it was a bout that WGTT won. They would go on to capture the belts from The KoW at “Honor Takes Center Stage – Chapter 1” shortly thereafter while The Briscoes began a rapid descent into some truly abhorrent behavior in their war with ANX. But the paths of the two teams would meet again at “Best in the World 2011” when, after having been eliminated first in a 4 Team Title Match, Jay & Mark returned to the ring to assault WGTT after their successful defense that night. From that point forward, the war was on…
Fights at DVD tapings, at TV tapings, coming to a head at “Final Battle 2011” where a total brawl erupted before the bell even rang to officially begin the match. Chairs were liberally used, leading to fines down the road and setting the stage for assaults to come, but when the final bell rang it was Jay & Mark Briscoe who captured the ROH World Tag Titles for the 7th time, but the war was far from over and it became obvious that something changed with WGTT. Their attitudes became…awful…to say the least and their total disregard for rules or fines became obvious on “Ring of Honor Wrestling” when a series of steel chair assaults on The Briscoes resulted in Shelton’s suspension for several weeks. Hass himself suffered a fine but arrogantly threw the money down for both his AND Shelton’s fine, essentially giving the finger to ROH management.
At “Showdown in the Sun – Day 2” it was time for the rematch, a contest the Briscoes again won, but ever the sore losers, Haas & Benjamin incapacitated Mark and used the corner post to brutally assault Jay’s groin. Then in Dayton, in a rematch that The Briscoes demanded, the involvement of The ANX led to Jay & Mark again retaining their titles. That all brings us here, to Toronto and this Fight Without Honor; in a match with no rules, no countouts or DQs, no way to end save pinfall or submission, The Briscoes & WGTT will finally put an end to their rivalry live on iPPV. Win or lose, this will be the last time these two teams collide over the World Tag Titles, and with a history as violent & personal as theirs, in a match where anything & everything goes, one can only imagine what depths these four men will sink to in order to leave as champions…
SHOWDOWN IN THE SUN – REMATCH
“Canadian Icon” Lance Storm vs. “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett w/ Brutal Bob
At “Showdown in the Sun – Day 1”, in a match personally requested by Lance Storm, “The Prodigy” Mike Bennett defeated the “Canadian Icon”. Ever the sportsman, Storm extended his hand to Bennett in a show of respect but Bennett, ever the scumbag, took that handshake and used it to sucker in Storm and lay him out with The Box Office Smash. Immediately Storm demanded a rematch with Bennett and it was a match ROH officials were all too happy to sign for our long-awaited return to Toronto, the place where Storm went toe-to-toe with Chris Hero at “Death Before Dishonor VII, N. 2” in 2009. Storm aims to shut the braggadocios mouth of Bennett, freely admitting that at his age any match could be his last, and refusing to let his career potentially end with Bennett & Maria standing over him. Well in Toronto there’s no worry about Maria getting involved, but in her stead, Brutal Bob will be at Mike’s side so again Storm will have to have his head on a swivel. As for Bennett, all he wants is the glory of saying he put down Lance Storm on two consecutive occasions, he wants the accolades of ending Storm’s career on a loss, and of course Bennett wants the headlines he believes that will bring. In Ft. Lauderdale it was a battle of youth vs. experience, but in Toronto it’s a battle of bad blood…
CHALLENGE MATCH
“Die Hard” Eddie Edwards vs. “The Man Beast” Rhino w/ Truth Martini
Fresh off a tour of Pro Wrestling NOAH where he competed in the Global Tag League with Colt Cabana, Eddie Edwards returns to ROH to face off with “The Man Beast”, The House of Truth’s personal hitman, Rhino! Truth Martini has expressly stated that Rhino’s one mission is to put any potential title challenger out of commission, essentially clearing the path for Michael Elgin’s future World Title match and taking any possible challenger for Roderick Strong’s TV Title out of contention. The first man in his crosshairs is none other than Edwards, a former World Champion & the 1st Triple Crown winner in ROH history. It’s the Achilles Lock versus The Gore, a man who won’t die versus a man who won’t stop until your dead; this will be a true battle of wills between “Die Hard” & “The Man Beast”!
BATTLE OF THE BREAKOUT STARS
“Unbreakable” Michael Elgin vs. Adam Cole
They are the two men who have without a doubt had the best year of their wrestling careers thus far in 2012. For “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin it really started with his epic victory at “Survival of the Fittest 2011” that earned him a future ROH World Title Match that he is still in possession of. From that point he has amassed a great record, defeating, amongst others, Chris Hero, Adam Cole, & TJ Perkins, and having the match of his life against Davey Richards at “Showdown in the Sun – Day 2”.
Adam Cole, on the other hand, has not accumulated the greatest win-loss record this year, but he has established himself as a “never say die” fighter in the same vein as his sometime-partner “Die Hard” Eddie Edward. Starting with his brutal No Holds Barred fight with Roderick Strong in January, Cole has quietly proved himself as tough as they come, and at the “10th Anniversary Event” when he pinned ROH World Champion Davey Richards in the tag team main event, his arrival was declared quite loudly. Follow that up with a tremendous performance in Dayton on April 29th in his World Title bout against Davey, and one can certainly say that Adam Cole has arrived. Now these two men will collide at “Border Wars” on May 12th in a battle of the top hottest stars in Ring of Honor!
GRUDGE MATCH
Jay Lethal vs. “The Dominant Male” Tommaso Ciampa w/ The Embassy Ltd.
At the “10th Anniversary Event” in NYC, Tommaso Ciampa challenged then-TV Champion Jay Lethal for the championship after earning the shot via a Proving Ground match. The bout went to a time limit draw and rather than enter into a kind of overtime period, The Embassy Ltd stole the title belt and quickly vacated the premises. The belt was essentially held hostage until “Showdown in the Sun – Day 2” where Ciampa was ordered to bring the belt to Ft. Lauderdale and return it to its rightful holder. Lethal, scheduled to take on Roderick Strong as part of the “Blind Destiny” challenge, was essentially cajoled by Ciampa into putting the belt up since Strong was also owed a Proving Ground-based title opportunity.
In a surprising moment Ciampa, who was seated at ringside watching, actually used a distraction to slam the champion into the ring post, and then feed him to Strong, who took advantage of the opportunity and defeated Lethal to claim the TV Title. The tensions between these two men have been building for several months now and it looks like its set to explode at The Ted Reeve Arena! It’s Jay Lethal vs. the unbeaten “Dominant Male” Tommaso Ciampa in a Grudge Match!
SIX MAN TAG MATCH
The All Night Express (Kenny King & Rhett Titus) and “Technical Lightning” TJ Perkins vs. The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) and “No Fear” Mike Mondo
It started as a verbal confrontation during a backstage interview on this week’s edition of “Ring of Honor Wrestling TV” between TJ Perkins & The Young Bucks prior to TJ’s match with Mike Mondo but it escalated into so much more.
During the course of the battle, apparently taking umbrage at TJ’s words, Matt & Nick Jackson came to ringside and got themselves involved, directly leading to Mondo picking up the win with an Elevated Double Underhook DDT. A 3-on-1 assault followed the closing bell which in turn brought out Rhett Titus & Kenny King to fend off their own rivals and even the odds.
“The Young Bucks don’t know when to leave it alone.” said Rhett Titus, “I guess they just can’t handle it when someone like TJ doesn’t just take their crap. Me and Kenny weren’t just going to let it slide, running a numbers game like that, so we came out to even the score. Of course you ran like the lady boys we know you are but you ain’t running in Canada! See we had a little chat with TJ, then we had a talk with Cornette, and now you two and Mondo are going to get what’s coming to ya in Toronto!”
That’s right…at “Border Wars” THIS Saturday night, live on iPPV from Toronto, its The All Night Express & “Technical Lightning” TJ Perkins vs. The Young Bucks & Mike Mondo in a 6-Man Grudge Match!!! The heat between ANX and The YB has been building every since “Final Battle 2011” when they put Titus on the shelf while Mondo & TJ have traded wins in recent weeks. Now the two paths collide at “Border Wars”!
Other wrestler’s signed to appear:
- Steve Corino
He has been silent since his former sponsor Jimmy Jacobs aligned himself with Kevin Steen at “Showdown in the Sun – Day 1” but now Steve will finally speak his mind at “Border Wars”. It’s been a tumultuous 2012 for Corino since losing the match at “Final Battle 2011” that allowed Steen back into ROH. What will Steve have to say about everything that has gone down?
“Border Wars” goes down THIS Saturday night, May 12th, in Toronto at The Ted Reeve Arena and it will be broadcast live right here on ROHWrestling.com! Once you place your order, it will be available to view on Saturday under the “MY PPVS” section of the site! You can also pick up tickets at the door on the night of the event! And don’t forget, there is a special Meet & Greet going down starting at 5:45pm with “Belfast Bruiser” Fit Finlay, Lance Storm, ROH World Tag Team Champions Mark & Jay Briscoe, Jay Lethal, and “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin! Get there early and take advantage of this opportunity to meet the stars of ROH!
