Welcome to ROH’s Best in the World 2021 pay per view! Live coverage will begin at 7:00 pm EST. Tonight’s main card lineup will include:
* ROH World Championship Match: Rush vs. Bandido
* ROH World TV Championship Match: Tony Deppen vs. Dragon Lee
* ROH Pure Championship Match: Jonathan Gresham vs. Mike Bennett
* ROH World Tag Team Championship Fight Without Honor Match: Rhett Titus and Tracy Williams vs. Chris Dickinson and Homicide
* ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match: Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Dalton Castle, Dak Draper, and Eli Isom
* Last Man Standing Match: Josh Woods vs. Silas Young
* EC3 vs. Flip Gordon
* Jay Lethal vs. Brody King
* The Briscoes vs. PJ Black and Brian Johnson
It’s announced on the pre-show that Tracy Williams is out of the Tag Title match tonight due to injuries from a car accident, and Jay Lethal will be taking his place.
Pre-Show Match #1 – Rey Horus vs Demonic Flamita
Brawling on the outside to start where Flamita takes control. Back inside, rear choke applied by Flamita and he puts Horus on the top buckle and rips at his mask. He hangs Horus in the tree of woe and hits a hesitation dropkick for two. Horus fights back but loses a chop battle and Flamita chokes him with a boot in the corner. Horus manages a counter and a flying bodyscissors, sending Flamita to the outside. Tope con hilo by Horus to the floor. Back in, a jumping tornado DDT gets two for Horus. Flamita gets his own tornado DDT and a powerbomb for two. Frog splash by Flamita gets knees and both men are down. They slug it out won by Flamita with a pair of superkicks. Horus counters an Irish whip attempt with a tilt a whirl tornado DDT. Horus then counters another powerbomb attempt with a sunset flip rollup for the surprise pin. ***
Winner: Rey Horus
A video package on Rush and Bandido is shown next. LFI is then seen walking into the arena.
Video package on Tony Deppen vs. Dragon Lee is shown next.
Kenny King is out to cut a promo, welcoming fans back to ROH and putting over LFI.
Video package on Brody King vs. Jay Lethal.
Video package on Jon Gresham vs. Mike Bennett.
Matt Taven (w/ enormous beard) is in the ring to cut a promo on Vincent and The Righteous. Vincent interrupts to taunt Taven. Taven offers a match at Glory by Honor, where if Vincent agrees Taven will leave ROH win, lose or draw. Vincent counters by wanting Taven’s title shot instead. They agree to a cage match for the title shot at Glory by Honor.
And then…the feed cuts out on the ppv. Stand by.
While the feed was out, PCO and Danhausen defeated The Bouncers on the pre-show.
On the Main card:
The Briscoes defeated PJ Black and Brian Johnson
EC3 defeated Flip Gordon
We pick things back up at:
ROH Six Man Tag Titles: Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Dalton Castle, Eli Isom and Dak Draper
The pink on Team Castle is just aces. Draper starts with Kahn, and he is far more athletic than he has any right to be, at that size. Moses is in and he is big, and mean. Draper tags out to Castle and he slugs it out with Moses. Castle taunts Moses, runs up to the top rope, jumps out of the ring, and then dances with the boys. Classic Castle. Moses has had enough and tags Shane Taylor, who isn’t here to play games. Castle tries to taunt Taylor and eats a hard right hand. Castle tags to Isom and he eats a Ron Simmons-esque one armed spinebuster for his troubles. Kahn back in and they’ve isolated Isom. Isom is trouble but tags out to Draper. Fast tags and Castle is back in and they’re working on Kahn. High crotch tbone by Dalton gets a 2. Miscommunication sends Draper into Isom and Moses takes advantage. Spear on Draper. Moses flipping over the top rope and cannonballs out on to Isom and Castle. Crowd is going crazy for SOS. Moses makes a blind tag to Shane Taylor and he hits Draper with the package piledriver. Draper gets saved by Isom who gets hit with an avalanche jackhammer for his troubles. Action is fast and furious but Taylor and Draper are the legal men. Shane Taylor takes advantage of the confusion and hits Welcome to the Land for the pinfall. Shane Taylor Promotions continue to be one of the best things going in ROH. **3/4.
Winner: Shane Taylor Promotions
Last Man Standing: Silas Young vs. Josh Woods
Woods jumps Silas during his ring entrance and roughs up Young on the outside. Inside Woods gets a German suplex. Woods goes for a chair on the outside, but Young uses the ref as a distraction and uses the chair on his own. Silas goes for a ladder, but Woods catches him and crotches Silas on the ring post. Back inside, Woods gets some corner attacks, but Young manages to counter a suplex attempt and charge Woods through a tables propped up in the corner. They trash talk and slug it out where Woods gets a leg lock. Silas taps and makes the ropes but none of that matters in this match. Outside once more, Woods sets up two tables and a ladder. Woods with a powerbomb onto the ladder propped up against the ring apron. Woods tosses a bunch of chairs in the ring. Silas recovers however and nails Woods with a chair and then gets a death valley driver onto chairs. Woods rolls outside at the count of 9. On the apron now, Woods gets a German suplex from there to the floor through the two tables previously set up. Woods makes it to his feet, but Silas cannot beat the 10 count. ***1/4
Winner: Josh Woods
Jay Lethal vs. Brody King
Code of Honor is adhered to. They slug it out and Lethal gets a Lethal Injection early for a one count. Lethal follows with four straight suicide dives, but King is still standing. King crawls back into the ring and dumps Lethal over the top with a back suplex. Back in, Lethal manages a powerbomb out of the corner but can’t get the figure four on. King gets a piledriver and Lethal rolls to the outside. King sets Lethal on a chair, then charges and crossbody splashes him through the chair and into the barricade. On the apron they exchange chops and King gets a DVD there onto the apron and brings Lethal inside for a two count. Ganso bomb times two on Lethal gets the decisive win for Brody King. ***1/2
Winner: Brody King
ROH Pure Championship: Jonathan Gresham vs. Mike Bennett
Bearded Mike Bennett > clean shaven Mike Bennett. SUFFER UNTOOO MEEEEEEE. Such a good theme. Crowd is hot for this and it’s great to hear for Ring of Honor. Lots of chain wrestling as you would expect, Bennett using his size advantage Early rope break my Gresham as Bennett goes for London Dungeon. That’s 1. Gresham focusing on the wrist and arm, taunting Bennett every step of the way. Tequila Sunrise-esque submission for Gresham turned into a cradle, gets a near fall. Series of transitions and Bennett is on the outside. Plancha by Gresham, caught by Bennett as Gresham locks in a kimura as Bennett holds on. Bennett grabs the rope and he’s down to 1 rope break. Trading back and forth Bennett finds a home for the London Dungeon and that’s the second rope break for Gresham. They both have 1 left. Bennett looking for the piledriver and Gresham fighting out. Bennett with a Spiccoli Driver gets a long 2 count. Hard lariat from Bennett. Bennett looking for the piledriver again but the arm work is preventing him from lifting Gresham up. HARDER lariat by Bennett gets another 2. “Bennett has won my respect. He belongs in the Pure Division.” – Caprice Coleman. Gresham looking for the Cobra Twist, no dice. Springborard moonsault from Gresham turns into a majestral cradle gets a long 2. Punt to the bent elbow of Bennett and he’s in trouble. Hammerlock into Cobra Twist and Bennett goes to the ropes for his final rope break. Gresham controls the wrist and continues the work on Bennett’s left arm. Gresham with another springboard moonsault, tope to the outside. Gresham rolls in Bennett, and springboards himself into a perfect superkick from Bennett. Brutal powerbomb by Bennett. 2 count. Gresham reverses into a Crippler Crossface, Bennett is close to the ropes but it wouldn’t matter. Gresham traps the arm and delivers strikes directly to the back of the neck. Standing rear naked choke by Gresham, Bennett cannonballs the both of them into the corner. Bennett up with a huge powerbomb, lariat, and a brutal piledriver. Bennett covers for the THREE – – but wait! Gresham’s foot is underneath the rope. The match continues. No rope breaks left. Fast and furious pace. Gresham with a drop toe hold into what looks like a kimura lock on the knee joint. Bennett taps!!! ****
Winner: Jonathan Gresham
ROH Television Championship: Tony Deppen vs. Dragon Lee
Kenny King is on commentary. They charge and its a hockey fight to start, followed by a slap fest. Deppen chops away in the corner. To the outside Deppen gets a suplex on the floor as they continue at a fast pace. Deppen goes back in and dives outside with what looks to be a tope suicida into a Canadian Destroyer for a two count, which is wild. Somehow Dragon Lee is still alive and gets a hesitation dropkick into the corner on Deppen. Double stomp from the top rope to the floor by Dragon Lee. Powerbomb attempt by Lee is countered into a sunset flip for two. They exchange German suplexes and Dragon Lee gets a poison rana, but Deppen gets a lariat and both men are down. Deppen flips off Lee and they slug it out again. Dragon Driver by Lee gets two. Several knees by Lee and a clothesline only gets one. Desnucadora and the Incinerator gets the clean win and the title for Dragon Lee. ****
Winner: Dragon Lee
ROH Tag Team Championship Fight Without Honor: Rhett Titus and Jonathan Gresham vs. Chris Dickinson and Homicide
Dirty Daddy and Homicide are out to check on Deppen, and the Foundation’s music hits and we’re starting hot. Drop toe hold by Gresham on Homicide on a chair. Rhett Titus tossed off the top rope by Dickinson onto an open chair. This is going to be brutal. Gresham, who just went 20+ minutes with Bennett, now has Homicide in the abdominal stretch. Homicide has Titus on the timekeepers table, REVERSAL by Titus as he drives Homicide through the table with a Michenoku Driver! Dickinson and Gresham on the inside. Dicksinson and Gresham fighting for wrist control, Spiccoli Driver by Dicksinon on Gresham for 2. Titus destroys Dickinson’s back with a chair, Homicide back in and hits a twisting avalanche Ace Crusher off the top rope! Titus kicks out and he’s a house of fire! Dropkick into a chair into Dickinson’s face by Titus, then a chair assisted belly to belly on Homicide. Gresham locks in the octopus stretch while Titus kicks him in the head, but Dicksinon just picks up and throws Titus through the octopus hold, breaking the grip. Dickinson with a camel clutch, Homicide dropkicks him in the face, and Dickinson turns it onto an STF. HOMICIDE HAS A FORK. FORK YES. Titus makes the save, breaks up the submission. Yakuza kick to Dickinson. A second one. Titus sets up the table. This never works out for the setter upper. Titus puts Dickinson on the top rope, but Dickinson counters into an avalanche Pazuzu Bomb through a table! Homicide grabs Gresham, VERTEBREAKER! 1…2…3! VIOLENCE SOLVING EVERYTHING! VIOLENCE UNLIMITED! ***1/2
Winners: Chris Dickinson and Homicide
Maria Kanellis announces Lenny Leonard has returned to commentary for the Women’s Championship Tournament. Kanellis reminds us that Vita Von Starr has been removed from the tournament, and that leaves an opening in the brackets. Please welcome…
“The Hot Mess” Chelsea Green! She’s here to prove to everyone that she is “enough”. This is what freedom feels like. The Maryland Athletic Commission has unfortunately deemed her unfit to compete due to broken arm. She’s going to sit ringside for the entire tournament. In one month when the cast is off, she’s going to join the amazing women of the division and and take the Ring of Honor Women’s Title to the forefront of professional wrestling.
ROH World Championship: Rush vs. Bandido
Rush immediately gets the Bull’s Horns and puts his foot on Bandido for the pin but passes on that and tosses Bandido to the outside for some brawling. Rush continues the attack inside the ring, stomping on the face of Bandido. Rush hits the tranquilo pose while Bandido rolls to the outside. The champion grabs a chair and hits Bandido’s leg with it, which for some reason is not a DQ. While Rush is arguing with Todd Sinclair, Bandido hits back to back dives to the outside to take over on the champion. Shooting Star Press by Bandido gets two. They duke it out and Rush gets a superkick, but Bandido gets a crucifix bomb pinning combination for two. Belly to belly toss into the corner by Rush. Rush with a tope con hilo to the outside. He sets up two tables and goes to the apron. Bandido breaks free and dives to the outside, sending both him and Rush through the tables. They exchange a series of snap German suplexes and Rush gets a superkick sending both men down. Rush suplexes Bandido from the apron back into the ring but only gets two. Bandido gets the Revolution Fly and the 21 Plex but only gets two! Rush fights back by ripping off Bandido’s mask, but Bandido rolls him up for the pin and the championship! ***1/2
Winner: Bandido
Post match LFI attacks and poses over Bandido.
Overall Show Rating: 8.5
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