Wrestling World War: Break The Walls Down

Ring of Honor Current Roster
Reigning ROH Champions may or may not be signed to ROH, and World Trios Championship is recognized by various companies.
ROH personnel that hold titles from other companies will also be listed below.

ROH World Champion
Johnny Gargano

ROH Women's Champion
Adrienne Moon

ROH Tag Team Champions
FTR

ROH Television Champion
Minoru Suzuki

ROH Pure Champion
Bryan Danielson

World Trios Champions
House of Torture (EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi)

FTW Champion
Jay Lethal

Adrienne Moon
Amy Rose
Angelina Love
Bandido
Bateman
Brian Cage
Brody King
Dalton Castle
Danhausen
Dragon Lee
Jay Briscoe
Jay Lethal
Jenny Rose
Johnny Gargano
Jonathan Gresham
Josh "The Goods" Woods
Kaun
Kellyanne
Kevin Steen
Mark Briscoe
Matt Cardona
Matt Taven
Mercedes Martinez
Miranda Alize
Moses
nZo
PJ Black
Rami Sebei
RUSH
Serena Deeb
Session Moth Martina
Shane "Swerve" Strickland
Silas Young
Toa Liona
Trish Adora
W. Morrissey

Owner & President
Paul Levesque

General Manager
Samoa Joe

Other On-Air Personnel
Tully Blanchard
Sonjay Dutt

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

BREAKING: Paul Levesque Purchases Ring of Honor
Baltimore, MD - Shocking news out of Baltimore this morning. Paul Levesque, formerly known as Triple H, held a surprise press conference at CEI Arena, former home of Ring of Honor, and announced that he had purchased the company outright from Sinclair Broadcasting Group.

"Today marks an historic day in professional wrestling history," Levesque began, speaking alone to a small, select group of reporters. "You're probably wondering why I have made this decision, and what my intentions are. I promise you that all will be explained in due time, but for now I can promise you that the industry of professional wrestling is about to change forever, and I will do everything I can to ensure that you receive the best product imaginable, and independent wrestlers the world over will always have a home to not only do the craft that they have devoted their lives to, but will earn a livable wage while doing so."

"I have sold all my shares in the WWE and have completely broken ties with them. More information will be released in due time, but I can tell you that much at least. The man you knew as Triple H is dead. I am Paul Levesque: businessman, promoter, and with any luck, the man that will create a new era of professional wrestling."

Levesque took a moment to collect himself after this latest announcement. He took a sip of water and continued.

"Ring of Honor has always held a special place in my heart. As many of you know, I was tasked with making NXT an interesting and compelling development program for independent wrestlers to expand their craft, re-invent themselves, and eventually become WWE Superstars. I looked to Ring of Honor for inspiration, and how could I not? Some of the best superstars of all-time began their careers right here. CM Punk. Bryan Danielson. Samoa Joe. They all perfected their craft in this amazing company, and in turn we...I...reaped the rewards."

"So why now? Why walk away from everything I worked my entire life for? Why throw it all away?"

Levesque paused again, then smirked to himself.

"I have a lot to say on this matter, a lot of things you're going to want to hear. But for now, just know that wrestling is in good hands, and is about to change for the better. Thank you for your time."

Levesque left without taking any questions. Within a few hours the video of his press conference on the Ring of Honor official YouTube page had hit 1 million views, and is still climbing.

Well this is already a fucking excellent followup.

ROH Announces Latest Signings: Johnny Gargano & Adrienne Moon
Following up yesterday's press conference, Paul Levesque has announced two major signings for the new and improved Ring of Honor. Johnny Gargano and Adrienne Moon (re: Ember) have signed with Ring of Honor.

Gargano's contract with WWE had just run out and Moon was a free agent after being released from the company last month. These signings are not only a huge get for the revamped ROH, but a major blow to All Elite Wrestling, who were expected to sign both these stars and some others coming off the WWE books.

Neither superstar could be reached for comment but Gargano did drop a tweet. Make of it what you will:

Personally, I'd consider Moon much more of a blow to AEW than Johnny Gargano. Even now they need more depth on their women's roster more than they need "Alex Shelley but worse"

I'm just a little bummed her rebrand wasn't to "Amber Moon".

Matt Cardona wins NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship; signs multi-year deal with ROH
Atlanta, GA - Breaking news tonight as NWA Powerrr returns to the interwebs with a an incredible moment: Matt Cardona has won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship from Trevor Murdoch, and on top of that, has signed a contract with the new and improved, Paul Levesque-led Ring of Honor.

After a long, COVID-related hiatus, NWA Powerrr returned to regularly scheduled programming tonight on YouTube, calling this their new season premiere after Hard Times 2 aired in early December. HT2 closed with Cardona attacking Murdoch after he successfully defended the title against Mike Knox, and they got right down to business on the premiere episode of Powerrr with Murdoch laying down his title against Cardona. Unfortunately, Cardona was successful and won the title, but even more unfortunately, Cardona embarrassed the company and the fans by cutting a brief promo then signing his new ROH contract on top of the historic NWA Worlds Heavyweight title.

The promo was a blatant callback to CM Punk's ROH promo in 2005 when he signed his WWE contract on the Ring of Honor World Championship. Cardona even borrowed several lines from the promo to really drive the point home.

The icing on the cake was when Cardona took the NWA title and blew a kiss to the NWA faithful in attendance, then disappeared into the backstage area.

It's still unclear when Ring of Honor will be returning to the airwaves, and in what capacity, but they have hit the ground running and will certainly create plenty of buzz when the company does decide to make their debut.

CM Punk: "I'm pissed."
CM Punk has finally spoken out about Paul Levesque's purchase of Ring of Honor. In his first sit down interview since Wrestling World War, CM Punk has opened up about the situation and to sum it up in two words...

"I'm pissed," Punk says, candidly. "This isn't what I signed up for and I have to be honest here. I'm disappointed and I'm really upset that I lent my name to this."

Wrestling World War was an historic event that took place last summer, and for the first time in history brought together all the major wrestling companies for a one time event. The best of the best squared off in a tournament watched by millions worldwide, and it was a tremendous success. And the event ended with a one-night-only, non-canon closing ceremony event that saw the reunion of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe, forming Team Honor, square off against the top 3 in Wrestling World War, Roman Reigns, Kenny Omega & Kazuchika Okada.

It was an incredible moment as the stars aligned and for one night only, wrestling was perfect.

But then, Paul Levesque purchased Ring of Honor.

"When I agreed to form 'Team Honor' at Wrestling World War, I was doing it as a favour to Tony [Khan]. He had this idea and he was throwing it around as the event was going on, gaining steam, coming to a close. And he says to me, he says 'look, the final night of the event is literally fan fic. It's meaningless. It's fan service and a gift to the fans for everything they've put up with over the past 18 months or two years or whatever.' So I said fine, I'll do it."

"But if I knew this shit was coming I would have stuck to my gut and said no."

It's no secret that CM Punk and Paul Levesque don't get along. After all, it was Levesque that fired CM Punk from the WWE back in 2014 when CM Punk no-showed due to an illness, then had plans to get married and thought he had time off.

"I feel a little betrayed, I have to say," Punk continued. "Tony knows my history there, he knows that I wouldn't have agreed if I knew this deal was happening. Now I've put my name on that. Now I have to own that. It really sucks, and I don't know what I'm going to do about it yet."

Punk quickly changed the subject back to his AEW future and the interview ended shortly after. More on this as it develops.

BOLA 2022: PWG & ROH Unite for Super Showdown
The Battle of Los Angeles is returning in a big way this year. Last held in 2019, the greatest independent wrestling tournament returns on January 29th, and this latest news is sure to take the wrestling world by storm.

The 2-day event will now include several major stipulations and matches. Paul Levesque tweeted the announcements today:

Shit, this is already far better than Jim Cornette's & Delirious' ROH era's combined.

Dec 7, 2021 22:49:07 GMT Ed said:

Shit, this is already far better than Jim Cornette's & Delirious' ROH era's combined.

Fortunately they set the bar real low, so..

Shane "Swerve" Strickland signs with Ring of Honor; enters #BOLA2022
Not really much else to add here. Shane Strickland F.K.A. Isaiah Scott has signed with Ring of Honor, and announced that he is the mystery entrant in the Battle of Los Angeles taking place this weekend.

.....

Battle of Los Angeles - Night 1
January 29th, 2022
The Globe Theatre - Los Angeles, CA, USA

ROH Tag Team Championship - Fatal Fourway Ladder Match
Kevin Steen & El Generico def. The Briscoes, The Young Bucks & The OGK (Taven & Bennett)
The closing match of Night 1 saw a shocking surprise as Kevin Steen & El Generico returned to Ring of Honor, teaming together for the first time in nearly a decade, and doing the unthinkable and winning the ROH Tag Team titles.

BOLA Best of 16
JONAH def. PJ Black

BOLA Best of 16
Brody King def. Silas Young
ROH alumni Silas Young had this match won until Malakai Black interfered, spraying him with the Black Mist and giving Brody King the win before welcoming him into The House of Black.

BOLA Best of 16
Bandido def. RUSH

BOLA Best of 16
Johnny Gargano def. "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry w/Luchasaurus, Marko Stunt & Christian Cage

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
Matt Cardona (c) def. Nick Aldis
Newly-crowned NWA Champ Matt Cardona issued an open challenge to "anyone not in Ring of Honor or AEW, the bullshit companies," and was eventually answered by former champ Nick Aldis. Cardona won after a ElBro Drop.

BOLA Best of 16
EC3 def. Orange Cassidy w/Best Friends

BOLA Best of 16
Darby Allin w/Sting def. Jay Lethal

BOLA Best of 16
Shane "Swerve" Strickland def. Dalton Castle

BOLA Best of 16
Penta El Cero Miedo w/Death Triangle def. Eddie Kingston

.....

Battle of Los Angeles - Night 2
January 30th, 2022
The Globe Theatre - Los Angeles, CA, USA

BOLA Final/ROH World Championship
Johnny Gargano def. Brody King w/Malakai Black
Johnny Wrestling wins the ROH World Championship and BOLA 2022 over the surging Brody King in an all-out war.

World Trios Championship
House of Torture (EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi) def. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Moses & Kaun)
The brand new Trios World titles now belong to Japan, but shortly after their match The House of Torture was confronted by newly reunited Best Friends (Chuck Taylor, TRENT & Orange Cassidy). Before they return to Japan, House of Torture will face Best Friends on an upcoming episode of Dynamite.

BOLA Semi-Finals
Johnny Gargano def. Darby Allin w/Sting

BOLA Semi-Finals
Brody King w/Malakai Black def. JONAH

ROH Women's Championship #1 Contendership - Triple Threat
Thunder Rosa def. Serena Deeb & Angelina Love
Thunder Rosa will face reigning ROH Women's Champion Rok-C on the premiere episode of ROH TV next week.

BOLA Quarter Finals
Darby Allin w/Sting def. Shane "Swerve" Strickland

BOLA Quarter Finals
Brody King w/Malakai Black def. EC3

BOLA Quarter Finals
Johnny Gargano def. Penta El Cero Miedo w/Death Triangle

BOLA Quarter Finals
JONAH def. Bandido

Ring of Honor Official Roster Released
Ring of Honor's official roster has been updated and it's a total overhaul. The main webpage was also updated with a statement from Paul Levesque:

As many of you know, all Ring of Honor wrestlers were released from their contracts in late 2021. The company was at a crisis point and the future of ROH was unknown. When I decided to buy the company, nobody was under contract and I have been working tirelessly over the past several weeks to rectify as much of that as I could.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, not all ROH contracts could be rectified at this time. That doesn't mean that your favourite ROH stars will never be seen again. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

While the current roster only includes wrestlers that have signed or re-signed exclusive ROH contracts, the door is always open for independent contractors to come and work for ROH. They will be paid on a per-appearance basis, and in many cases this is preferred for both ROH and the independent workers that want the freedom to work wherever possible.

Also, all new ROH contracts signed as of today will allow for wrestlers to work other promotions as they see fit. While ROH will always be their priority as outlined in their contract, they will not be discouraged or prohibited from working other shows and promotions. This old mentality of exclusivity is no longer feasible in the current wrestling landscape, and ROH will lead the charge alongside AEW, NJPW, Impact, NWA and GCW in providing the best entertainment possible with as few restrictions as possible.

So, when you read the new roster, do not fret. There will be many of the greatest wrestlers on the planet showing up at Ring of Honor in some capacity, and many opportunities for inter-promotional work. Wrestling World War was a major step forward in making this a reality, and I will do everything in my power to ensure this continues to be the case.

-Paul Levesque
ROH Owner & President

The updated roster is listed below. Anyone not listed has not re-signed an ROH contract at this time.
Reigning Champions may or may not be signed to ROH, and World Trios Championship is recognized by various companies

ROH World Champion
Johnny Gargano

ROH Women's Champion
Rok-C

ROH Tag Team Champions
Kevin Steen & El Generico

ROH Television Champion
Dalton Castle

ROH Pure Champion
Josh "The Goods" Woods

World Trios Champions
House of Torture (EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi)

Adam Brooks
Adrienne Moon
Amy Rose
Angelina Love
Bandido
Bateman
Brody King
Dalton Castle
Danhausen
Dragon Lee
EC3
El Generico
Jay Briscoe
Jay Lethal
Johnny Gargano
Jonathan Gresham
Josh "The Goods" Woods
Kaun
Kellyanne
Kenny King
Kevin Steen
Mark Briscoe
Matt Cardona
Matt Taven
Moses
PJ Black
Rok-C
RUSH
Session Moth Martina
Shane "Swerve" Strickland
Silas Young
Trish Adora

Heavily invested in this, loving HHH leading the charge here in ROH, oh and my broski Cardona being there too 😎.

ROH News: Samoa Joe named General Manager
Sitting alongside Paul Levesque at CEI Arena earlier today, it was announced that Samoa Joe would be taking on the role as ROH General Manager.

Joe had a wild 2021. He was inactive for some time before being released by the WWE, then just weeks later was re-signed after Levesque campaigned for his reinstatement. Joe then became an "enforcer" in NXT, half authority figure, half commissioner, until he returned to in-ring action and won the NXT Championship for a record-setting 3rd time. Unfortunately, Joe had to relinquish the title due to an undisclosed injury, and his future was up in the air until the fall when he appeared as part of Team Honor at Wrestling World War.

"Joe has made it clear that he wishes to be a part of the ever-growing independent wrestling landscape," Levesque said, addressing media at the announcement. "He has done some of his best work behind the scenes and in territorial rings across the country. It is my pleasure to be able to give Joe a platform to do what he does best in the later stages of his career. I have incredible faith in Joe to deliver night in and night out on behalf of Ring of Honor."

Samoa Joe then gave a brief statement:

"In 2021 I was once again written off due to an injury. Unfortunately this has been something that has plagued my career in recent years, and it was what led to my dismissal from the company I had devoted the best years of my career to. I knew I had a lot left to give, but was unable to do so due to hectic work schedules, poor healthcare, and the inability to properly recover."

"Seeing these companies sprout up and succeed over the past few years has given me hope, and when Paul called me with this offer, I practically jumped through the phone to accept. This is a role I feel like I was born to do, and who knows? Maybe I've also got a few fights left in me. The six-man tag at Wrestling World War gave me that spark, and I'll be damned if that's going to be my last match."

"Ring of Honor created Samoa Joe, and I owe my life to this company. I am going to do everything I can to bring it back to prominence, and ensure it stays there. Thank you."

ROH TV Episode #1: EC3 Releases The Titan, Trios Tournament Announced & More
Ring of Honor TV returned to the airwaves and put the rest of the wrestling world on notice.

The show began with a brief statement from Paul Levesque in a pre-recorded video message. Levesque said that he was 'honored' to be where he is today, and that while he understands how strange this still may feel, he hopes to prove to everyone watching and all the fans across the world that he is sincere, he is finally where he wants to be in his career, and he is going to ensure that every wrestler no matter how big or how small or how famous or how green has a home.

The show then began with Adrienne Moon making her ROH debut against mainstay Angelina Love. Both women stood face-to-face in the ring and received the first ribbon toss of ROH's return. Moon picked up the win with an Eclipse in a brief-but-excellent 10 minute match.

Next up was a Trios Match that saw Shane Taylor Promotions take on Impact's Violent By Design. Shane Taylor cut a quick promo about losing the Trios World Championship and vowed to get that gold back, then laid down an open challenge. Enter Eric Young, Deaner & Joe Doering, who ended up getting the victory in a rather stiff match. It was then announced that there would be a Trios Tournament starting very soon and the winners would get a title shot at current champs, NJPW's House of Torture, on a date to be determined.

Johnny Gargano then entered and cut a promo about how happy he was to win the ROH World Championship, and how proud he was to call this his new home. Gargano was then interrupted by Jay Lethal, who got a huge homecoming pop and told Gargano he still had a lot to prove before he could call ROH his home. Gargano reminded Lethal that he had recently signed a contract with All Elite Wrestling, which resulted in the crowd turning on Lethal, but Lethal saved face and told Gargano that he did what he had to do to survive when his future was uncertain, just like he always had done, and just like he'll do when they fight for the ROH World Championship next week!

The next match was an open challenge by EC3, who had a few things to say about ROH's new owner. EC3 clearly doesn't trust Paul Levesque, and for good reason, but that's "a battle for another day." EC3's open challenge was answered by Adam Brooks, but EC3 quickly let Brooks know that the open challenge wasn't to face him, but rather..."The Titan."

New music hit and the "The Titan" Adam Scherr (f.k.a. Braun Strowman) stormed into the arena! The crowd went wild as Strowman joined EC3 in the ring and made quick work of Adam Brooks while EC3 simply stared deep into the hard camera. The duo posed together until we cut away to a backstage promo from Jonathan Gresham, who vowed to get his ROH Pure Championship back before he went on to "bigger and better things," whatever that means.

After commercial, the ROH Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen & El Generico walked onto the stage and got a MASSIVE ovation, followed by another ribbon toss. Steen spoke and kept things to the point, stating that while he and Generico would be calling ROH their home, they had a looooot of new scores to settle, and some of those scores would require them to "travel," and would also require some "new friends" to join them here in ROH. Steen said that he and Generico came back to ROH for two reasons: one, they were tight with Paul Levesque and knew they would be in good hands here, and two, they were going to prove they are the greatest tag team on the planet before riding off into the sunset, and ROH was the only place to do it. Before they could leave, Steen and Generico were attacked from behind by The OGK, who tossed them both off the stage.

After a quick break, ROH Television Champion Dalton Castle entered to a big pop, and his entrance had all the wild fanfare and vigor one could expect from him. Castle joined the announce team for the main event between Bandido and Brody King, announcing that this match was the first of four elimination matches to determine the #1 contender to his TV title. King was accompanied to the ring by Malakai Black and as you could have guessed, Black was a factor in the outcome, spitting black mist into Bandido's face and giving King the win.

The House of Black stood tall in the ring then the lights turned out, and when they came back on, King & Black were gone and Matt Cardona was standing in the ring. The fans booed as Cardona turned his sights on Bandido, who was still blinded by the black mist in his eyes, and beat him senseless until Dalton Castle chased him off, and the show came to an end.

Quick Results
Adrienne Moon def. Angelina Love
Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner & Joe Doering) def. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Moses & Kaun)
"The Titan" Adam Scherr w/EC3 def. Adam Brooks
ROH Television Championship Qualifying Match
Brody King w/Malakai Black def. Bandido

I wish this was real.

World Trios Championship

A round robin tournament to determine the #1 Contenders to the World Trios Championship

Representing


Shane Taylor Promotions
(Shane Taylor, Moses & Kaun)
The House of Black
(Malakai Black, Brody King & TBD)
The OGK
(Matt Taven, Mike Bennett & TBD)

Representing


Violent By Design
(Eric Young, Deaner & Joe Doering)
Bullet Club
(Chris Bey, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo)
Swann Dive
(David Finlay, Juice Robinson & Rich Swann)

Representing

Team Filthy
(Tom Lawlor, Danny Limelight & JR Kratos)
Bullet Club
(KENTA, Jay White & Chase Owens)
CHAOS
(Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)

Representing

The Superkliq
(Adam Cole, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
Death Triangle
(PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix)
Jurassic Express
("Jungle Boy" Jack Perry, Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt)

ROH TV Episode #2: The Hangman returns; issues challenge & Trios Tourney kicks off
Week 2 of ROH TV already has the world buzzing. If you haven't heard about the explosive second episode yet, buckle up, because we're getting spoiled right out the gate!

First match of the show was the first of the Round Robin matches in the Trios Tournament, contested between The OGK and Shane Taylor Promotions. Accompanied by Maria Kanellis-Bennett, Matt Taven & Mike Bennett stood on the stage and awaited their unannounced partner. Taven picked up a mic:

"It feels good to be in a more stable Ring of Honor, and the future of our sport looks brighter than ever. And that future belongs to The Kingdom, who will reign supreme once again with its newest member...W. Morrissey!

New music hit and the fans popped for Morrissey, who entered and towered over his partners before storming to the ring. The surprise partner proved to be the difference maker and when it was all said and done, The Kingdom stood tall with the first victory in the tournament.

After the match we got a pre-recorded video message from Matt Cardona, who promised to become the next ROH Television Champion. He referred to himself as "the world's greatest deathmatch wrestler," and said he's proven that nobody can stand in his way, especially in "a soft company that can barely stay afloat."

Next up we got Adrienne Moon in another women's match, this time against Session Moth Martina, who got a surprisingly huge pop on her ROH return. Martina infamously turned down a WWE contract to join ROH in 2019, and fans were glad to see she was still around. The match was very well received and was arguably the match of the night. Moon got the win but her and Martina shook hands after the match. As they turned to leave the ring, ROH Women's Champion Rok-C stepped onto the stage and applauded them both.

After commercial we got a brief video package from EC3, who stated that his actions last week were just the beginning, and "releasing The Titan was just the first step in his return to glory." EC3 said it was time to "control your narrative," then the same phrase appeared on the screen before Adam Scherr's music hit. Scherr faced Bateman, who was making his return to ROH television in a little over a year. Bateman tried to hold his own but it was no use, and Scherr chokeslammed him out of the ring mere seconds into the match. Scherr played to the crowd and Bateman eventually returned with a steel chair in hand and slammed it across Scherr's back. The referee called for the bell as Scherr no-sold the chair shot, then punched it right into Bateman's face before chokeslamming him again on the dented chair.

Backstage, ROH World Champion Johnny Gargano is seen warming up for his main event match. Gargano is approached by Jonathan Gresham, who offers his hand for Gargano to shake. Gargano accepts, then Gresham pulls him in tight and tells him that while he has his sights set on one more Pure Championship run, he's coming for that world title next, and he hopes Gargano is still champ so he can take it off him.

The view then cuts to another backstage area where ROH Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen & El Generico are standing by. The crowd goes wild as Steen glares into the camera, clearly fuming, while El Generico paces around behind him, also furious. As Steen speaks, El Generico picks up random objects around him and throws them, causing a ruckus and trashing whatever items he can get his hands on.

"So The Kingdom has a new friend, huh? That's nice. Friendship is nice. I know a thing or two about that, as my partner here can atest to. But what he can also atest to is that friendship only lasts so long in this business. Eventually your friends are the ones standing in your way. And Matthew, Michael...do you really want that 7 foot tall behemoth standing in YOUR way? Maybe you should have thought about that. But critical thinking doesn't seem to be your strongest attribute, does it? Because if it were, you two dumbasses wouldn't have attacked me and MY friend last week! Maybe you thought you were making a statement, maybe you thought you'd get a shot at these titles. Well guess what? Maybe you were right. Because the second we get our hands on you, it's over. The Kingdom will fall before it even gets off the ground."

The next match was meant to be between Bandido and PJ Black, but due to an eye injury sustained at the hands of Malakai Black the previous week, Bandido is out of action and Dragon Lee steps in. The match is a lovely lucha showcase for a few minutes, but is all for nothing as the lights eventually go out and when they come back on, Malakai Black & Brody King are standing in the ring. They decimate both PJ Black and Dragon Lee, then Malakai sits cross-legged in the ring while Brody King kneels behind him and holds his mic for him. Malakai's promo is short, but the key point is that next week, The House of Black welcomes a new member. And when they win the Trios Tournament, they will become a house of black and gold.

After the break, it's main event time and the crowd is red hot for the ROH World title match between Johnny Gargano and Jay Lethal. This is the first televised match between the two, only having met once before in 2009 during an Impact dark match. And you can tell the fans have been wanting this fantasy match-up for a long, long time.

The match was full of ups and downs for both men as they left it all in the ring. Lethal held his own and nearly had the match won more than once, but youth prevailed and after trying for the entire match, finally locked in The Garga-No-Escape. An exhausted Jay Lethal had nowhere to go and was forced to tap out.

Streamers rained down on the ring and both men held themselves high after the match, that is until the lights went out and a familiar tune filled the air:

More cheers, more streamers, more mayhem as "Hangman" Adam Page returned to Ring of Honor in over 3 years!

Page posed on the stage then pulled open his vest to reveal the AEW World Championship, then when his music faded and the chants of "COWBOY SHIT!" began to die out, Page addressed the men in the ring.

Page complimented Jay Lethal on his effort, and said that he was someone he greatly admired. He was happy to see that Lethal still had a lot left to give, and he hopes that they'll do battle one day. The crowd popped for that, but Page said he was here to address the ROH World Champion, and that man is still "Johnny Wrestling."

The crowd chanted for Johnny Wrestling as Page continued...

"Ring of Honor's big return has really ruffled a few feathers, and rightfully so. The landscape of this business is more incredible than it's ever been, and there is room for everyone, and for every opportunity. Now there's been some jaw-jacking back n' forth over the past few weeks, and I gotta say, that's not really my style. I'm not gonna sit back behind a keyboard and talk about ratings or tournaments or 'forbidden doors,' no. I'm about two things: cowboy shit, and kicking ass."

More Cowboy Shit chants, more buzz from the crowd.

"So how about this. How about instead of beating around the bush and sub-tweeting each other, we just get right down to business. At First Battle next month, the ROH World Champion Johnny Gargano faces the AEW World Champion yours truly, and we settle this like men!"

The crowd ERUPTS. ROH TV fades off the air as Page's music hits again and Johnny Gargano nods in approval.

Quick Results
Trios Tournament Round Robin
The Kingdom def. Shane Taylor Promotions
Adrienne Moon def. Session Moth Martina
"The Titan" Adam Scherr def. Bateman
PJ Black vs. Dragon Lee ended in No Contest
ROH World Championship
Johnny Gargano (c) def. Jay Lethal

NJPW Strong: House of Torture are stateside and running roughshod with stablemates
After successfully defending the World Trios Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 16, Bullet Club affiliate House of Torture vanished for several weeks. Well, turns out they were in quarantine because they are back in the United States and have put the rest of the industry on notice.

On Saturday's episode of NJPW Strong, a Round Robin match in the World Trios Tournament took place between Team Filthy and Bullet Club members El Phantasmo, Chris Bey & Hikuleo. The match served as the main event for the evening and was a great bout until House of Torture appeared from the shadows and served enough of a distraction for Chris Bey to cover JR Kratos for the win. The second the bell rang, House of Torture joined a 7-on-3 attack, decimating Team Filthy to close the show.

Looks like Bullet Club have their usual ace in the hole and are looking to ensure the World Trios Championship stays in the group one way or another.

ROH TV Episode #3: The House of Black grows, TV & Tag Championship pictures explode
The third episode of ROH TV showed that the company is here to stay and prepares to continue to deliver week in and week out. Heel tactics reigned supreme as many ROH stars found themselves on the wrong end of a beat down this week.

The show kicked off with another Trios Tournament match, this time with a shocking surprise for the ROH faithful in attendance. The House of Black made good on their promise, introducing a third member, and when the third member was introduced the roof blew off the arena. Malakai Black and Brody King entered in as menacing a way as they could, then as the lights remained off, a song familiar to the ROH crowd and fans around the world hit and the pop was deafening for a crowd of just a few thousand people:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels walked through the darkness and joined Malakai Black and Brody King, forming the ever-growing House of Black. Their opponents, Violent by Design, didn't stand a chance. The new trio in town kicked them six ways from Sunday and took their first Round Robin victory.

We then heard from ROH Pure Champion Josh "The Goods" Woods for the first time since the rebirth of ROH TV. Woods said that he would defend his title against Jonathan Gresham next week, and when he was done, he would be the fighting Pure Champion that ROH deserved, and welcome any and all comers week in and week out until he either lost the belt, or there was no one left. As he finished speaking, Jonathan Gresham attacked him, throwing him into a concrete wall before lifting him in a Gorilla Press and sending him crashing through a wooden crate.

Next up, Adrienne Moon was in action for the 3rd week in a row, taking on Amy Rose. Moon made quick work of her opponent, beating her in a squash, and was almost disappointed that things seem to keep getting easier for her. That is until she was confronted by ROH Women's Champion Rok-C, and it was made official: Moon vs Rok-C at First Battle for the Women's title. Rok-C held the women's title high above her head and the two stared one another down as streamers hit the ring.

ROH Television Champion Dalton Castle then made his first appearance since Episode 1, calling out Matt Cardona. Castle said that if Cardona was going to play this game, he might as well just get it over with and face him for the title. Castle watched as Cardona appeared on the big screen, telling Castle that if he was still champ at First Battle, he'd gladly take the TV title off him there. Dalton Castle was then confronted by two-time Television Champ Kenny King, who said that he wanted a shot and would gladly slap the taste out of Cardona's mouth at First Battle if he was successful. Castle accepted, and the match was solid with Castle retaining. He celebrated the victory, until Matt Cardona dove into the ring, attacking him from behind to tremendous boos. Cardona hit a Radio Silence then dashed out of harm's way as Kenny King tried to make the save. Cardona giggled to himself as he backed up the ramp and disappeared.

After the break it was tag team action and ROH Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen & El Generico made their way to the ring with a huge ovation. The tag champs defended their titles in a non-title match against Impact stars Rhino & Heath. Steen and Generico got the win, then immediately called out The Kingdom. They obliged, appearing on stage to big heat from the fans. Mike Bennett did the talking, telling Steen and Generico that they were coming for the tag titles at First Battle, and would be the first tag team and trios champions in company history. Steen and Generico took offence, but were caught unawares that W. Morrissey wasn't with his Kingdom stablemates, and instead appeared behind them. Morrissey knocked El Generico out cold with an elbow to the back of his head, then attacked Kevin Steen, beating him senseless before hitting a Powerslam in the centre of the ring.

Quick Results
Trios Tournament Round Robin
The House of Black def. Violent By Design
Adrienne Moon def. Amy Rose
ROH Television Championship
Dalton Castle (c) def. Kenny King
Kevin Steen & El Generico def. Rhino & Heath

ROH TV Episode #4: Pure Mayhem
It was a wild night on the penultimate show before First Battle later this month. With the ROH's first Go Home show since folding looming, everyone was looking to make their mark.

We started with the ROH Women's Champion Rok-C walking to the ring and cutting a brief promo on her upcoming match with Adrienne Moon. Rok-C then accepted any challenger to walk to the ring and fight her before her title defence, and she was met by Chicago's own Skye Blue. The two had a decent match and Blue even had Rok-C on the ropes for a bit, but the champ dug her heels in and took the win. After the match, Adrienne Moon appeared on the big screen and promised Rok-C that a "new era" was about to take over Ring of Honor, and it would start with her becoming Women's Champion.

Backstage, The Kingdom are arriving at the arena. Bennett and Taven are escorted by Maria, and the #1 Contenders remind W. Morrissey that he can't interfere in the night's main event. "But that doesn't mean you can't have some fun," Taven reminds Morrissey.

After commercial, ROH Pure Champion Josh "The Goods" Woods" enters for his first match since ROH's return. Making good on his promise, Woods defends his title against Jonathan Gresham, who enters to a mixed reaction from the ROH faithful. The match is, of course, fought under Pure Rules, and both men meet in the centre of the ring for the traditional handshake. Woods extends first, and Gresham slaps his hand away to the dismay of the crowd. The match is well fought, and just a few minutes in Gresham exhausts his first warning and first rope break on closed-fist punches, knocking Woods silly in the process. Woods battles back, and the match is somewhat even for a time, until Gresham exhausts another rope break with a stiff uppercut to Woods' jaw. Woods is out cold, and Gresham takes him outside, throwing his lifeless body head-first into the ring steps. Woods lies unconscious, and stays that way for the full 20-count, and Gresham wins the Pure Championship via countout to a chorus of boos.

Next up we see ROH Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen & El Generico walking backstage, who are immediately attacked by W. Morrissey! For the third time in 4 weeks, Steen and Generico are on the receiving end of a surprise attack, but this time they manage to hold their own. Officials intervene and Morrissey's attack is futile, and when Samoa Joe enters the fray he immediately kicks Morrissey out of the building and tells him not to come back tonight, or he'll be suspended and The Kingdom will automatically forfeit from the Trios Tournament.

ROH World Champion Johnny Gargano is standing by and he cuts a promo regarding his match against Adam Page at First Battle. Gargano says he's happy they aren't dragging this out, and he'll be able to prove right out the gate that ROH is the place to be, and the best company on the planet. He then goes on to say that he needs a warm up next week, so he'll happily defend the ROH World title against anyone that steps up to him. As soon as he says that, Shane "Swerve" Strickland steps into view and gets face-to-face with Gargano. Strickland looks down his nose at Gargano and keeps it short and sweet: "You sure you're gonna be facing the Hangman at First Battle? Guess we'll see."

Back in the arena, Bandido makes his way to the ring to a big pop. The crowd cheers as a Fatal Fourway to determine the #1 Contender to the ROH Television Championship is announced. Dragon Lee, PJ Black & Matt Cardona are the other competitors, the latter being met with tremendous heat. ROH Television Champion Dalton Castle appears to once again join the commentary booth, but his glamorous entrance is interrupted by Cardona, who gets in his face. The match begins and Cardona is still on the stage jawing with Castle, but Castle doesn't bite and Cardona is forced to join the match. It's an awesome fourway battle between 3 highly talented athletes and Cardona, who drags the high-flying match down to a ground-and-pound, much to the chagrin of the audience. And of course, Cardona comes out on top when he capitalizes on an amazing sequence between Bandido and PJ Black on Dragon Lee, taking him out of the match. Cardona tosses Bandido out of the ring at the last moment then hits a Radio Silence on Black for the pinfall.

EC3 then returns with another promo, similar to his last. He tells the crowd to "Choose Your Narrative," then says The Titan will not only destroy at First Battle, but also "welcome another," whatever that means.

Main event time and The Kingdom is welcomed with tremendous boos. We don't need to drag this out, y'all get it. Steen and Generico enter to a roar, the match is a pretty standard tag team bout, then things are blown wide open when El Generico misses a Helluva Kick and is hung up on the ropes. Matt Taven hits a Super Kick from the apron while the ref has his back turned, then Mike Bennett goes for the roll up but Kevin Steen intervenes. The ref loses control, all hell breaks loose, and The Kingdom almost wins it with a Hail Mary, but Generico kicks out. He manages to make the diving tag to Steen, who has just climbed back up on the apron, and Steen drives an elbow into a charging Taven. Steen goes to the top rope and goes for an Axe Handle, but Taven kicks him in the gut instead. Taven goes for a Stunner, but Steen is ready and shoves him into the ropes..POP UP POWERBOMB! Bennet tries to break it up but Generico is there with a running boot, and Steen holds on for the 3!

Steen and Generico are barely given time to celebrate because as The Kingdom retreats, W. Morrissey bursts through the crowd and attacks. The crowd boos heavily but seconds later...

"REACH FOR THE SKY, BOY!"

The Briscoes theme hits and blows the roof off the arena! Jay and Mark storm to the ring and send W. Morrissey packing with a combination attack that ends in a Doomsday Device. They pop up just in time to get nose to nose with the reigning, defending, ROH Tag Team Champions, and the show goes off the air.

Quick Reults
Rok-C def. Skye Blue
ROH Pure Championship
Jonathan Gresham def. Josh "The Goods" Woods (c)
#1 Contendership to the ROH Television Championship
Matt Cardona def. PJ Black, Bandido & Dragon Lee
ROH Tag Team Championship
Kevin Steen & El Generico (c) def. The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett w/Maria)

ROH TV Episode #5: Go Big or Go Home
First Battle is right around the corner but to get there, we have to go through one more episode of ROH TV. And what an episode it was.

Right off the bat there was a wild Trios Tournament battle between Shane Taylor Promotions and Impact's Violent By Design. STP got their first win of the tournament when Moses pinned Eric Young, but to the shock of the crowd their celebration was interrupted by AEW's Team Taz!

Taz, Powerhouse Hobbs, HOOK & the FTW Champion Ricky Starks walked into the CEI Arena and had a bone to pick with not only the men in the ring, but the Trios Tournament in general. Taz, mic in hand, let the crowd calm down before laying into everyone and anyone who would listen:

"There's something we've been meaning to say, and since nobody over at AEW wants to listen, maybe you dummies will. You see there's a Trios Tournament going on, as you're well aware, yet for some reason Team Taz was not included. Normally I'd say 'ok, no big deal,' but let's be real here for a sec. On our side, you got Jungle Express and a midget teenager that hangs out with them, The Vanilla Kliq, and Death Triangle...okay they're pretty good, I won't lie. But we're better than the other two! Then there's you clowns in the ring right now. I ain't even heard of most of you guys, no offence, but c'mon. What is Shane Taylor Promotions? Sounds like a porn company if I'm being honest. And-

Jay Lethal has seen enough, and enters to a huge pop. Lethal shows no fear, claiming back his home turf from Team Taz, and snatches the mic out of Taz's hand:

"That's about enough, and if you don't call of your boys there's an entire locker room ready to empty out here and make sure none of y'all make it outta here alive."

MASSIVE pop. Chants of "R-O-H!"

"Y'all wasted enough time with your whining, so I'll just say this: you think you're better than the men in the Trios Tournament? You think you're better than the men in that ring? You think you're better than ME? Prove it. Step up, or step the f*** out!"

Taz and Jay Lethal stare one another down, but Ricky Starks gets in between the two of them. Starks raises the FTW title off his shoulder and above his head, and against Taz's wishes, lays down the challenge that is immediately confirmed via twitter by the GM...

After the break, ROH Women's Champion Rok-C teams up with Angelina Love to take on #1 Contender Adrienne Moon and Session Moth Martina. It's a damn good tag team match that ends with Rok-C pinning Martina, and then a stare down between Moon and the champ. They don't come to blows despite the crowd's insistence, and decide to leave it all for Saturday's PPV.

We then get a promo from ROH World Champion Johnny Gargano who talks about the hardships and struggles he's had to endure over the years. While he has reached what he thought was the pinnacle of his career, he felt something was missing and found that something here in Ring of Honor. Now as the World Champion, he will not only be the best champion ROH has ever seen, but the best champion in the industry today after he defeats the AEW Champion on Saturday.

Next up are DEM BOYZ and The Briscoes hit the ring for a warm-up match prior to their tag team title shot on Saturday. The Briscoes faced Kenny King & Adam Brooks in what was essentially a squash. While Mark and Jay celebrated, ROH Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen & El Generico appeared on the screen:

"Wow, boys. Congrats. Great win over some guys that barely had a chance to warm-up. We're sooo scared."

El Generico waves his fingers and makes an "oooo" sound. Kevin Steen looks at him and rips his mask off!

"Would you take that stupid thing off, Rami? Everyone knows it's you under there. Jesus Christ."

Rami Sebei looks down at his hands, then at Kevin Steen, then at the camera, then back at Kevin Steen. The two bicker for a moment...

"You could have given me some warning."
"It's 2022, dude. Why did you even wear this stupid thing in the first place?"
"...fan service? I dunno. It felt right at the time!"
"Nobody believes that you went to a Mexican orphanage!"

The crowd is losing it.

"NEVER MIND! WHERE WAS I? BRISCOES! Congratulations on your bullshit win, we'll see you Saturday!"

After commercial ROH Television Champion Dalton Castle entered to quite the ovation with all the flash and pizzazz that Dalton Castle brings. The title gleamed from around his waist and Castle held an open challenge for anyone that dared step up and face him in his first match in Ring of Honor since their retur-WHACK! Castle is struck from behind by Matt Cardona with a kendo stick! Cardona lays into Castle, striking him over and over, then gets on the mic and says that nobody is facing him until he takes his title on Saturday.

Backstage, ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham is standing by and he has a very clear and concise message for anyone listening: the Pure Championship is up for grabs this Saturday in an open challenge. Anyone that wants a shot can step up, but if they lose, they can never challenge for the title again.

That brings us back to the arena where former Pure Champion Josh "The Goods" Woods is making his way to the ring for an exhibition match. Earlier in the evening he vowed to get his title back, and that leads us to assume he'll be first in line this Saturday for the open challenge. Woods is joined by Silas Young & PJ Black to take on Dragon Lee, Bandido & RUSH in Trios action. The match itself is excellent with lots of high spots, and Woods gets his team the win by making Dragon Lee tap to a knee bar. But before any fanfare or fun can be had, the lights go out and EC3 appears on the big screen. EC3 spouts more of his usual nonsense before reminding us to "control our narrative." When the lights come back on, "The Titan" Adam Scherr is in the ring and he demolishes anyone that gets in his way. We cut to commercial as the announce team questions "who will step up and stop The Titan?"

Then it's main event time...

The FTW Champion Ricky Starks enters to a heavily mixed reaction from the crowd and squares off with Jay Lethal. The match is even better than you could expect, and the crowd is red hot and 100% behind Jay Lethal from the very start. The battle goes long past the end of the show but we stay with it until the very finish. Team Taz does everything in their power to keep the title on Ricky Starks, and he even hits the Roshambo on Jay Lethal, but Lethal rolls out of the ring before an exhausted Starks can cover. Hobbs and HOOK get some shots in as Lethal tries to get back in the ring and Starks distracts the referee, then Starks sets up for another Roshambo, but Lethal reverses and locks in the Figure Four! Starks has nowhere to go, but now Hobbs is on the apron distracting the ref, and HOOK tosses the FTW title to his stablemate. Starks drills Jay Lethal with the belt to break the hold, and Lethal is down and out. Starks is hurt, but manages to get to his feet, and he goes for another Roshamb-NO! JAY LETHAL ROLLS HIM UP! INSIDE CRADLE! 1..2..3!!!! NEW CHAMPION!!!

The crowd goes absolutely insane as the 3-count is made and Team Taz loses their minds at ringside. Ricky Starks can't believe it. The referee snatches up the FTW Championship to hand to Jay Lethal, but Starks tackles the ref and grabs the belt, scurrying out of the ring and trying to escape with it. Team Taz heads up the ramp, but the locker room empties, just as Jay Lethal had promised earlier in the show. Several ROH wrestlers file onto the stage and block their exit, and Team Taz has nowhere to go.

Ricky Starks clutches the title against his chest, but Taz realizes the war is lost, and he instructs Starks to hand the belt over. The referee awards the FTW Championship to Jay Lethal, Team Taz shrinks away into the crowd, and the new FTW Champ celebrates as ROH TV goes off the air.

Quick Reults
Trios Tournament Round Robin
Shane Taylor Promotions def. Violent By Design
Rok-C & Angelina Love def. Adrienne Moon & Session Moth Martina
The Briscoes def. Kenny King & Adam Brooks
Josh "The Goods" Woods, PJ Black & Silas Young def. Bandido, Dragon Lee & RUSH
FTW Championship
Jay Lethal def. Ricky Starks (c) w/Team Taz

Champion vs. Champion
Johnny Gargano vs. "Hangman" Adam Page

ROH Women's Championship
Rok-C (c) vs. Adrienne Moon

ROH Television Championship
Dalton Castle (c) vs. Matt Cardona

ROH Pure Championship - Open Challenge
Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. TBD

ROH Tag Team Championship
Kevin Steen & Rami Sebei (c) vs. The Briscoes

Trios Championship Tournament Round Robin
The SuperKliq (Adam Cole & The Young Bucks) vs. The House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Christopher Daniels)

Trios Championship Tournament Round Robin
The Kingdom (Matt Taven, Mike Bennett & W. Morrissey) vs. Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt)

plus

BREAKING NEWS



NJPW's The United Empire issues an Open Challenge at First Battle!

After going a devastating 0-3 at Wrestle Kingdom 16, including losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Kazuchika Okada, The United Empire is back on US soil and looking for a fight. Leader Will Ospreay has stated that the group will be at First Battle this Saturday, and if anyone dares step up "they'll learn right quick why United Empire are the future of this business."

Ospreay was asked about his comments in regards to the Forbidden Door after losing at Wrestle Kingdom 16, and Ospreay simply said that "things can change quickly these days, and certain people in charge have finally recognized my talents."

Yeah, Triple H would absolutely hire Ospreay. That's not a compliment to either of them.

Even in fan faction, The Kingdom still finds work.

I absolutely love the snark. I'm enjoying the fuck out of writing this. :lol: