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BALTIMORE — Ring of Honor’s 19th Anniversary pay-per-view was billed as a battle for supremacy between warring factions La Faccion Ingobernable and The Foundation, but it was another stable that was standing tall at the end of the show at UMBC Center.
After LFI beat down The Foundation following ROH World Champion RUSH’s successful title defense against Jay Lethal, Brody King came out with his own group.
King, Tony Deppen, former ROH World Champion Homicide and independent wrestling star Chris Dickinson laid out LFI’s RUSH, Kenny King and Bestia del Ring and then assaulted The Foundation’s Lethal as well.
Although the night ended badly for The Foundation, they were riding high heading into the main event. Tracy Williams made history by becoming the first man to win two titles in different matches in the same night, as he won the ROH World Television Title from Kenny King (who was defending the title on behalf of Dragon Lee, who was unable to travel after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured eardrum), and he and Rhett Titus defeated King and Bestia (substituting for Lee) for the ROH World Tag Team Title.
Also, The Foundation’s Jonathan Gresham turned back a strong challenge from Dak Draper to successfully defend the ROH Pure Title.
The other major news coming out of the show is that a tournament will begin this summer to crown a new ROH Women’s World Champion.
The announcement was made by ROH Board of Directors member Maria Kanellis Bennett, who also announced that Quinn McKay will wrestle The Allure’s Angelina Love in a match that will take place on a future episode of “Ring of Honor Wrestling.” If Love defeats McKay, she will earn a first-round bye in the tournament.
Here are the complete results from the action-packed, four-hour extravaganza:
Four Corner Survival Match: Brian Johnson defeated Danhausen, Eli Isom and LSG
After Danhausen hit the GTS on LSG, Johnson pulled LSG out of the ring to prevent Danhausen from getting the three count. While LSG and Isom were incapacitated on the floor, Johnson crawled under the ring and came out on the other side. Johnson sneaked back in the ring and poked Danhausen in the eyes behind the referee’s back. Then Johnson hit The Process on Danhausen for the win.
Backstage interview with Mike Bennett
Bennett said he hasn’t heard anything from Matt Taven regarding Taven’s unsanctioned match against Vincent. Brawler Milonas entered and said Taven hadn’t responded to his calls and texts. After Bennett walked away, Milonas ran into Beer City Bruiser. Bruiser told Milonas he should worry about their tag team, not about Taven.
ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Title Match: Champions Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor & Soldiers of Savagery’s Kaun and Moses) defeated MexiSquad (Bandido, Flamita & Rey Horus)
Throughout the match it appeared that Flamita wasn’t on the same page as his partners. Meanwhile, Taylor was having a rare off-night, so SOS picked up the slack. At one point, Bandido put Flamita and Horus on his back and hit a splash off the top rope onto Taylor. SOS made the save. While Flamita was perched on the top rope, Taylor tossed Bandido into him. Kaun hit a jackhammer off the top rope on Flamita. STP hit Cointel on Flamita for the win.
After the match, Flamita was angry with Bandido. Horus proposed they settle things with a triple threat match tonight.
ROH World Television Title Match: Tracy William defeated Kenny King (defending the title on behalf of Dragon Lee) w/Amy Rose to win the title
As Williams attempted to lock on the crossface, Rose placed King’s foot on the bottom rope. King hit a low blow behind the referee’s back and trapped Williams in an inside cradle for a near fall. Rose tossed King’s tag team championship belt into the ring. King reached for the belt, but Williams grabbed him and hit a piledriver for the victory.
Flip Gordon defeated Mark Briscoe
After knocking Gordon to the floor, Briscoe set up a chair inside the ring. He was going to use it to launch his body over the top rope onto Gordon, but Gordon entered the ring to stop him. As the referee disposed of the chair, Gordon kicked Briscoe low and hit Flip-5 for the win.
Dalton Castle defeated Josh Woods (w/Silas Young)
After splitting their first two singles matches against each other, this was the rubber match. During the latter stages of the bout, Young encouraged Woods to use a chair, but Woods refused. After the referee was inadvertently knocked out of the ring, Castle sent Woods into the ropes where he was met with a chair shot to the head from Young. Castle rolled up Woods for the three count.
After the match, Young kneeled over the fallen Woods. He said he put everything aside to help Woods but he continually defied him. Young said that going forward he’s going to hurt Woods in ways that will make him question his career choice.
Jay Briscoe defeated EC3
The story of this intense showdown was that EC3 wanted to wrestle, while Briscoe wanted to fight. Briscoe refused to adhere to the Code of Honor before the match. During the latter stages of the hard-hitting bout, Briscoe seized the advantage by targeting EC3’s neck. Despite taking three neckbreakers, two Death Valley Drivers (one on the apron), a discus forearm and multiple running knees to the face, EC3 refused to stay down.
EC3 extended his hand, and this time Briscoe shook it. Then Briscoe planted EC3 with the Jay Driller for the win. After the match, Briscoe and EC3 adhered to the Code of Honor. Respect was earned, and honor is real.
Triple Threat Match: Bandido defeated Flamita and Rey Horus
Flamita refused to shake hands with Bandido and Horus before the match. At one point during the match, Flamita yelled, “There is no more MexiSquad!” Horus hit a Tornado Driver on Flamita (the same move Horus used to defeat Dalton Castle at Final Battle in December), but Bandido made the save. After Bandido took out Horus with a Fosbury Flop, he hit a springboard hurricanrana into a pinning combination on Flamita for a near fall. Bandido followed with the 21 Plex on Flamita to win the match.
Afterwards, Flamita slapped hands with Horus, but he pushed Bandido aside and left the ring.
Unsanctioned Match: Matt Taven and Vincent fought to a no-contest
The former friends, now bitter enemies returned to PAL Hall in Fall River, Mass., the building where they cut their teeth in pro wrestling over a decade ago, in an effort to settle the score in their blood feud. Taven and Vincent stomped each other all over their old stomping grounds, ferociously fighting on multiple levels of the historic building.
As Taven and Vincent exchanged blows while perched on a balcony, a large man in overalls came up behind them and knocked them off the balcony. Taven and Vincent crashed through a table below. The mysterious man checked on Taven, and then picked up Vincent and carried him out.
Backstage: Jay Lethal has a request for referee Todd Sinclair
Lethal asked Sinclair to please not end his match against RUSH early if RUSH starts breaking the rules. Sinclair said he will use his best judgment like he always does.
Maria Kanellis Bennett makes a special announcement
Quinn McKay introduced Bennett, who is a member of the ROH Board of Directors.
Bennett announced that ROH will be holding a tournament this summer to crown a new ROH Women’s World Champion. She invited female competitors from all over to compete in the tournament.
The Allure’s Angelina Love and Mandy Leon came out. Love asked Bennett who she thinks she is and questioned how she got her position. Bennett said Love needs to earn her opportunities. She said if Love wins a match, she’ll get a first-round bye in the tournament. Bennett said the match will be against McKay and it will happen on Ring of Honor television.
McKay was excited about the news, while Love and Leon found it funny. McKay has been wanting a match with Love ever since Love and Leon attacked her on the “ROH Week By Week” set in November.
ROH Pure Title Match: Champion Jonathan Gresham defeated Dak Draper
Giving up more than a foot in height and 75 pounds in weight, Gresham targeted Draper’s left knee throughout the match. After both competitors used their three ropes breaks, Draper rocked Gresham with a punch to the face. Gresham barely beat the 10 count. Draper began to dominate but couldn’t put Gresham away. Draper caught Gresham in a swinging stretch muffler, but Draper’s knee buckled and he released Gresham.
After Draper rolled out of the ring, Gresham dove through the ropes, landed on Draper’s back and applied a sleeper hold. Draper, still trapped in the sleeper, got back in the ring before the 20 count. Draper grabbed the rope, but it didn’t matter since he was out of rope breaks. With Draper unresponsive, the referee called for the bell.
ROH World Tag Team Title Match: The Foundation (Tracy Williams & Rhett Titus) defeated champions La Faccion Ingobernable (Kenny King and Besta del Ring, substituting for Dragon Lee, w/Amy Rose) to win the title
After Bestia hit a modified Codebreaker on Titus in the corner, he asked Rose to get him a chair. Rose slid a chair into the ring, but Besita was angry that she didn’t hand it to him. While Bestia was preoccupied with Rose, Titus hit him with a dropkick from behind. Titus followed with two running boots to the face and then locked on a crouching full nelson. Bestia submitted.
After the match, Bestia berated Rose. King held him back and then began yelling at Rose himself. Rose gave King the finger and started to leave. King apologized and extended his hand. Rose shook his hand, but King held on and signaled for Bestia to finish her. Bestia speared Rose.
ROH World Title Match: Champion RUSH defeated Jay Lethal
RUSH wrestled a clean match early, but it was just an attempt to lull Lethal into a false sense of security. It wasn’t long before RUSH was choking Lethal with camera chords on the floor. After Lethal seized control of the match, LFI’s Kenny King and Bestia del Ring came out to aid RUSH. As Lethal hit the ropes to set up for Lethal Injection, Bestia blasted him with a chair. Referee Todd Sinclair, remembering Lethal’s plea earlier in the night not to disqualify RUSH, did not call for the bell.
The Foundation’s Jonathan Gresham, Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus came out to thwart King and Bestia from interfering further. Lethal hit Lethal Injection, but RUSH kicked out at two. RUSH connected on a Superman Punch and hit Bull’s Horns. Lethal rolled out of the ring, but RUSH tossed him back in and hit a second Bull’s Horns for the victory.
After the match, LFI and The Foundation brawled. LFI used a chair and RUSH’s championship belt to take out The Foundation. At that point, Brody King came out and was joined by Tony Deppen, Homicide and Chris Dickinson. After beating down LFI, Brody helped up Lethal but then clotheslined him. Homicide followed with the Cop Killer on Lethal.
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