ROH Roundup: Stable Warfare Heats Up, Survival Of The Fittest Bracket Announced
The week is still very young, but it’s already been an eventful one for Ring of Honor. Here’s a look at what you need to know about ROH for the week ahead.
This past weekend, ROH Wrestling was headlined by a World Tag Team Championship match. The OGK (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) challenged The Foundation (Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams) for the gold, and a pre-match attack from an unidentified assailant made all the difference. Taven clearly wasn’t at 100%, and his reinjured ankle ultimately cost him the bout. After the bell, Vincent appeared on the video screen, mocking Taven and ending his spiritual hiatus in the process. It seems like the heated feud between the two former friends will have at least one more chapter.
Elsewhere on the show, Fred Yehi defeated New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Rocky Romero in a Pure Rules match, and EC3 delivered an spiritual warning to Flip Gordon.
For a review of the show and all things ROH, please check out our Recap of Honor podcast.
This weekend’s episode is set to be just as exciting. In the latest round of the dynamic stable warfare that has been heating up recently, The Foundation (Jay Lethal, ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham, and ROH World Tag Team Champions Tracy Williams & Rhett Titus) will battle Violence Unlimited (Brody King, ROH World Television Champion Tony Deppen, Chris Dickinson and Homicide) in an eight-man tag team match. With La Faccion Ingobernable (RUSH, Dragon Lee, Kenny King and Bestia del Ring) suspended for the month of May, one of these groups has a prime opportunity to gain the upper hand in this battle for supremacy.
Plus, the winners of the Rankings Battle Royal, LSG and Joe Keys will clash in a singles match. The winner will earn the right to enter either the Pure or World TV Title division.
Speaking of the TV division, former ROH World Champion Dalton Castle has officially joined the fray. In a video posted to ROH’s YouTube channel, Castle explained that he wants to spice up the company’s TV product. In fact, he stated that he wants to help ROH win a Golden Globe award. Castle is already ranked third in the division; former champions Tracy Williams (second) and Dragon Lee (first) are currently in front of him.
In other news, ROH has confirmed the bracket for the Survival of the Fittest tournament, which will be held on ROH Wrestling throughout June:
On this week’s episode of ROH Week By Week, the following matches were confirmed:
- Rey Horus vs. Flamita
- Eli Isom vs. Dak Draper
- Bandido vs. Bateman
- Brian Johnson vs. Sledge
- Chris Dickinson vs. O’Shay Edwards
- Danhausen vs. Rhett Titus
The winners of these matches will go on to face each other in a six-way match; the victor of that bout will win the tournament and earn a shot at the ROH World Championship.
On the newest edition of “Week By Week”, Jay Briscoe stunned his brother, Mark when he drove a wedge in their plans to regain the tag titles.
“I don’t think I want to be your partner anymore,” said Jay.
Mark then kicked Jay off his property, hinting at some continuing tension between the brothers. Mark defeated Jay on the 500th episode of ROH Wrestling via countout, so the Briscoes might feel compelled to run it back with a rematch at some point soon in order to determine a clear winner.
On Week By Week with Quinn McKay, get the big news on Best in the World, the announcement of a legendary match's return, Chris Dickinson's violent debut and so much more!
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— ROH Wrestling (@ringofhonor) May 25, 2021
Elsewhere on the show, an updated look at the rankings showed that Kenny King and Dragon Lee of LFI remain in the top spot in the tag division. Maybe they’ll get their rematch once their suspension is over next month. With The OGK’s loss, Jonathan Gresham and Jay Lethal climbed up to the second spot, and the Soldiers of Savagery are now ranked as the third team.
Tracy Williams announced that The Foundation, in its quest to purify ROH, has ensured that their future defenses of the World Tag Team Championship will be contested under Pure Rules.
Over in the Pure Division, Fred Yehi has climbed up to the top spot, so he could earn a chance to face the champion, Jonathan Gresham in the near future. Gresham’s stableate Rhett Titus is ranked second while Josh Woods is in the third spot.
Woods will have a chance to climb the rankings if he defeats his rival, Silas Young in a Pure Rules match on the weekend of June 5. Young defeated his former 2 Guys, 1 Tag partner earlier this month by bending the rules, and Woods is determined to prove that he’s the better wrestler of the two. Woods has been impressive in every outing dating back to ROH’s return last fall, so he’s overdue for a title shot. A win over Young could cement his right to challenge for the gold.
ROH’s YouTube channel continues to showcase some exclusive matches. This Thursday at 7 p.m. EST, Sledge will face O’Shay Edwards in a rubber match between the upstart competitors. In their prevous two matches, Sledge and Edwards have battled to time-limit draws. The two men will be hoping for a decisive victor this time around.
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Make sure to tune in to Women’s Division Wednesday on ROH’s YouTube channel. These matches continue to feature ROH’s resurgent women’s division, and last week’s episode revealed that former NWA Women’s World Champion Allysin Kay will compete in the upcoming ROH Women’s World Title Tournament. Kay is one of the most buzzworthy names on the market, so her involvement is a major move for ROH.
This Wednesday, former Women of Honor World Champion Angelina Love will face Mazzerati. Love has already clinched a first-round bye in the tournament, but she might be hoping to shake off any potential ring rust before the competition officially begins this summer. Of course, a win for ROH newcomer Mazzerati would all but clinch her own spot in the tournament.
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