PHILADELPHIA — Stepping into the ring against three top contenders in a four-way elimination match, ROH World Champion Bandido knew there was a strong chance that his first title defense would be his last.
However, the sensational luchador defied the odds and turned back the challenges of Brody King, EC3 and Demonic Flamita in the Death Before Dishonor main event at the 2300 Arena Sunday night.
Bandido pinned King with La Magistral Cradle to win the final fall. Earlier, EC3 was disqualified for using a chair as a weapon (Demonic Flamita used it first but the referee didn’t see it), and King pinned Demonic Flamita.
Also on the card, Rok-C defeated Miranda Alize in the Quest for Gold tournament final to become the inaugural ROH Women’s World Champion, and Josh Woods captured the ROH Pure Title by handing Jonathan Gresham his first-ever loss in a Pure Rules match.
Alex Zayne made his surprise return to ROH and won the Honor Rumble to earn a future ROH World Title shot. It was Zayne’s first appearance in ROH since he upset Bandido in January 2020.
Here are the complete results from the action-packed, four-hour extravaganza:
Alex Zayne won the 16-man Honor Rumble
Zayne was the final entrant. It came down to Zayne, PJ Black, Brian Johnson and Flip Gordon, who apparently is suffering from retrograde amnesia and thinks it’s 2018.
After Gordon eliminated Johnson, who was the No. 1 entrant, Zayne eliminated Gordon. Black went for a crossbody while Zayne was against the ropes, but Zayne used Black’s momentum to dump him over the top rope for the win.
The order of entrants: Johnson, Brian Milonas, Beer City Bruiser, Danhausen, Caprice Coleman (who came off commentary to enter the match), Sledge, PCO, Black, Dak Draper, Silas Young, Rey Horus, Dante Caballero, Gordon, Joe Keys, World Famous CB, Zayne.
The order of elimination: Bruiser, Milonas, Coleman, Sledge, Danhausen, PCO, Young, Caballero, Keys, Draper, CB, Horus, Johnson, Gordon, Black.
Dalton Castle (w/The Baby Chickens) defeated Eli Isom
Castle and Isom entered the match ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the ROH World Television Title rankings.
Thanks to interference from Draper, who had been sitting in on commentary, Castle hit Bang-a-Rang on a distracted Isom for the victory.
Taylor Rust defeated Jake Atlas
In this matchup of top free agents, Taylor locked on a double armbar submission and Atlas submitted.
Violence Unlimited (Tony Deppen, Chris Dickinson & Homicide) defeated Pure wrestlers from the past, present and future (John Walters, LSG & Lee Moriarty)
Dickinson hit a Death Valley Driver on Moriaty for the win.
After the match, the three Pure wrestlers began to argue. Foundation members Jay Lethal, Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus entered the ring and calmed them down.
Lethal gave an impassioned speech about Pure wrestling being alive and well in ROH, as wrestlers from the Pure division such as Isom, Black, Key, Caballero, Eric Martin, Milonas and Taylor stood on the stage and applauded.
The OGK (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) defeated Jay & Mark Briscoe
This was the first meeting between the former rival teams since 2015, and it was all back-and-forth action from the opening bell.
Jay Briscoe turned Taven inside out with a clothesline. Mark Briscoe followed with Froggy Bow and made the cover, but Bennett made the save just in time. Jay set up for the Jay Driller on Taven, but Taven countered with an inside cradle for the three count.
It was a huge victory for OGK, who were unranked heading into the match, while the 11-tag former ROH World Tag Team Champions were No. 4.
Josh Woods defeated ROH Pure Champion Jonthan Gresham to win the title
As Gresham and Woods jockeyed for position with inside cradles, the referee counted both men’s shoulders down and declared the match a draw in 11:46. Gresham said he wasn’t going to allow his 12-0 record in Pure Rules matches to be tarnished by a draw, and he demanded the match be restarted.
Gresham, who had been targeting Woods’ left shoulder during the match, tried to apply a Kimura Lock, but Woods powered him into a tombstone position and hit a wheelbarrow suplex that dropped Gresham on his head. Woods covered him for the three count at the 20:01 mark.
After the match, Gresham presented Woods with the championship belt.
ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Shane Taylor Promotions (O’Shay Edwards, substituting for an injured Shane Taylor, & Soldiers of Savagery’s Moses and Kaun) defeated La Faccion Ingobernable (Dragon Lee, Kenny King & Bestia del Ring)
On this past weekend’s episode of Ring of Honor Wrestling, King and Lee regained the ROH World Tag Team Title from Dickinson and Homicide. With Lee also holding the ROH World Television Title, LFI looked to gain possession of a third championship.
As Taylor was making his way around the ring during his entrance, King attacked him with a chair and left him lying. Edwards was allowed to replace Taylor, who was helped to the back.
While the referee was distracted outside the ring during the chaotic match, Taylor returned and nailed King with a chair to allow Moses to score the pinfall.
Rok-C defeated Miranda Alize in the ROH Women’s World Title Tournament final
Alize, who was the aggressor for most of the nearly 20-minute match, appeared to be on the verge of victory after stunning Rok-C with a pair of superkicks to put her in position for the Drive By.
However, Rok-C caught the charging Alize with a superkick of her own, followed by a back heel kick to the midsection. Rok-C then hit Code Rok for the victory.
ROH Board of Directors member Maria Kanellis-Bennett presented the new championship belt to Rok-C, who was joined in the ring by her parents.
ROH World Champion Bandido defeated Brody King, EC3 and Demonic Flamita in a Four-Way Elimination Match
EC3 was dominating the match until Demonic Flamita hit him in the back with a chair while the referee was distracted. EC3 took the chair from Demonic Flamita and nailed him with it. Unfortunately, the referee saw that one and disqualified EC3.
Bitter rivals Bandido and Demonic Flamita agreed to temporarily put their differences aside and work together against the monstrous King. Demonic Flamita got King on his shoulders in an electric chair position and Bandido landed a Destroyer off the top rope.
King eventually eliminated Demonic Flamita with The Seeing Eye piledriver. Bandido hit a Shooting Star Press on King, but King remarkably kicked out at one.
A fired-up King turned Bandido inside out with a lariat and set up for the Gonzo Bomb. Bandido slipped free and pinned King with La Magistral Cradle.
After the match, The Foundation came into the ring to celebrate with Bandido. The Righteous (Vincent, Bateman, Dutch and Vita VonStarr), all clad in white clothes, looked on from the stage.
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