Ring of Honor announced today that three of its top stars — ROH champion Jay Lethal, Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly — have signed new contracts with the organization and there are major booking plans in place for all three men in the year ahead.
Lethal signed several weeks ago, while Fish and O’Reilly inked deals about a week ago.
All had been expected to re-sign since Lethal had not lost the championship in any of his recent title defenses. Additionally, Fish & O’Reilly staying on also included the provision they’ll continue to keep their jobs with New Japan Pro Wrestling, something the Young Bucks got in their deal when they re-signed in October 2015.
The new deals were similar to the old deals in that ROH will have exclusivity on the wrestlers in North America, but they are free to take overseas bookings. The lone exception to the stateside exclusivity are PWG shows.
Lethal vs. O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole for the ROH title will headline the 2/26 ROH PPV show from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The following are 5 Star Wrestling results from the January 15th Liverpool, England, show, submitted by Jay O’Leary.
5-Star Champion John Morrison vs. PJ Black
Morrison pins Black in about 10 minutes after Starship Pain to retain his 5* title. Decent opening match to get the crowd going.
Big Damo vs. Zack Gibson
Hometown boy and Liverpool’s number one Gibson is out next after challenging Nick Aldis for his GFW title in the local press. Few jeers from the blue half of Liverpool for Gibson who is in his usual Liverpool FC style t-shirt but otherwise a great reaction for Zack. Aldis comes out and talks down to the crowd before saying Gibson doesn’t deserve a shot at his GFW championship. He introduces Gibson’s opponent for the evening “The Beast of Belfast” Big Damo. Damo pinned Zack Gibson with a rollup after pulling the ref in the way of Gibsons attack. After the match, Gibson gets on the mic and challenges Damo to some sort of hardcore match to which Damo just walks off.
Colt Cabana vs. Timm Wylie
Fun match which saw Cabana pick up the win after hitting the GTS.
Will Osprey, Zack Sabre Jr and Rey Mysterio vs. Marty Scurll, Jimmy Havoc and GFW champion Nick Aldis
The kids (and adults to be fair) loved seeing Mysterio and when he hit the 619 and followed up with a frog splash on Jimmy Havoc for the pin the crowd went wild. After the match, Scurll attacked Mysterio but Rey countered. Marty ended up on the ropes primed for the 619 before Zack Sabre Jr stopped Rey from connecting. A confused crowd were stunned into silence when Osprey followed up with a superkick to Mysterio before the five british stars all attacked Mysterio together. They posed and left the ring.
Joe Coffey vs. Carlito
Cool ending when Carlito accidentally spat his apple into the face of referee Chris Roberts before Coffey rolled him up. Carlito’s shoulders came up at 2 but a partially sighted Roberts missed it, counted the 3 and called for the bell.
Zoe Lucus and Lou King Sharp beat Jamie Hayter and Kid Fyte in a mixed tag team match.
AJ Styles vs. Jay Lethal
A decent main event match ended when Lethal scored the pin with a handful of tights. They went back and forth on the mic after the match putting over 5* before they were laid out by Aldis, Osprey, Scurll, Sabre Jr and Havoc. Jimmy Havoc gets on the mic and says how sick they are of putting in the work week after week over here when the American guys come over, get paid ten times as much and all these people lap it up.
The beatdown continued until Colt Cabana and Rey Mysterio run down for the save. The British guys scarper with the exception of Havoc who gets hit with a 619, GTS, Lethal Injection and a Styles Clash before the four babyfaces pose in the corners to send the crowd home happy.
Notes:
Really fun show. Credit to 5 Star Wrestling, their production team, and every single person on their roster for ending the tour on such a high. Great turnout in the Echo arena for the show with mainly families with young kids.
The Big Takeaway – Excellent TV title match caps off a strong episode of ROH TV this week.
Moose w/Stokely Hathaway vs Dominick Carter
Carter is a 200 lb’er that looks like he’s about 12 years old so this probably isn’t going to go very well for him. A handshake and a spear and it’s over.
WINNER – MOOSE by pinfall
Hathaway takes a mic and calls out Jay Lethal. He promises that Moose will be the next ROH champion. He says that this sounds familiar and references Big Mike, Michael Elgin. He says that Moose is bigger, stronger and a better wrestler than him because he beat his opponent faster than Elgin did last week. He suggests that Elgin packs up his things and gets to the back of the line. This brings out Elgin. He says that Moose did beat his opponent quicker but Elgin’s opponent was 200 lbs heavier. He chastises Moose for not speaking for himself and Moose says “we can do this right now”. They look like they’re going to square off but this brings out the House of Truth.
Truth Martini accompanied by an unnamed lovely young redhead, along with Donovan Dijak and J Diesel. He makes fun of all 3, calling Hathaway toddler-size and says none of them are worth of saying Lethal’s name. He does identify the woman as the “very lovely Tayler Hendrix”. She looks much different than she did in TNA, kind of Lady Gaga-ish, if Gaga had red hair. He says everything they were talking about was “whack”. Elgin says he’s going to take Martini’s side piece and check into a motel later, which pops the crowd. Martini says no one talks to Tayler like that and we can do this right now.
Moose w/Stokely Hathaway and Michael Elgin vs The House of Truth (Donovan Dijak/J Diesel) w/Truth Martini and Tayler Hendrix
They start by brawling on the outside with Elgin and Moose completely dominating as we go to commercial. After a break, they’re in the ring and Elgin is all over Dijak. He makes a tag to Moose, who nails a perfect dropkick. The story here is that Elgin and Moose are competing to see who looks more impressive. Moose stares at Elgin after each move and then does a hard tag to Elgin.
Elgin does the Harry Smith delayed suplex while the crowd counts on Dijak. They get to about 30 before Elgin finally drops him. Then Elgin and Moose get into a shouting and shoving match. Diesel and Dijak try to take advantage but Moose and Elgin are ready for it. Tayler gets involved and that’s enough to turn the tables as Diesel gets a brief flurry of offence on Moose. Kelly brings up that Diesel now wants to go by his real name, Jay “Diesel” Daddiego.
That doesn’t last long as Elgin gets tagged in and runs wild, ending off by nailing Dijak and Daddiego with a cannonball out of the ring and then grabbing Hendrix, threatening to kiss her but then tossing her aside. Kelly points out that the House of Truth is banned from ringside for the TV title main event. Elgin with a Buckle Bomb on Daddiego but not before Moose hits a blind tag. Moose hits a spear and steals the pin and the two get into another staredown after the pin.
WINNERS – MOOSE/MICHAEL ELGIN by pinfall
Storytime with Adam Cole is next and he’s here to talk about the Kingdom. Matt Taven and Michael Bennett have reigned supreme and beaten everyone that’s got in their path. We then get highlights of last week’s title defence against the Addiction. The masked KRD guy helped the Kingdom retain. They will face War Machine at Final Battle. And next week on ROH TV, Cole goes one on one with Dalton Castle.
We get a video package next for tonight’s main event with a promo from Roderick Strong mixed in with video footage of their previous battles. Excellent rundown for anyone that might just be tuning in and not familiar with their history.
Back to the ring and BJ Whitmer is there with Adam Page and Colby Corino. He mocks Steve Corino’s retirement speech last week. He doesn’t believe Corino’s story about a broken neck and feels he’s just scared. He calls out Nigel at ringside for believing his story. He then calls Nigel a liar for quitting a couple years ago. Nigel gets into the ring to confront Whitmer. Nigel is sick of listening to Whitmer’s whining. He says if Corino can’t be at Final Battle then neither can Whitmer. Adam Page is guilty by association and he can’t be there either.
Main Event for the ROH World Television Title –
Champion Jay Lethal vs Roderick Strong
Duelling chants to start. After a bit of grappling where Strong has the advantage, Lethal goes to the outside to regroup. Back in and Strong has Lethal tired up in knots but Lethal manages to escape and grabs his belt to tease a countdown but Strong follows him and chases him back into the ring. Strong nails a dropkick and Lethal rolls out again as we go to break.
After the break, they’re both outside the ring and Lethal whips Strong into the barricade a few times and soaks in the jeers of the crowd. Lethal tosses him back into the ring after chopping him a few times and is firmly in control. They exchange chops in the ring and Lethal selling the power of the chop but still in control as Nigel explains that being whipped into the barricades took a lot out of Strong.
Another chop battle in the middle of the ring and Strong gets the better of it, knocking Lethal down. Lethal Injection but Strong counters with a dropkick to the back of Lethal’s head. Both guys down and another duelling chant from the crowd starts up. Both up and Strong nailing Lethal with chops and he’s grabbing his chest in pain. Lethal goes for the Lethal combination but Strong blocks it and then hits a series of running forearms on Lethal. He tries for a running knee strike but Lethal blocks it. Strong then hits a backbreaker for a 2 as we go to another break.
Back from break and Lethal has Strong in a triangle submission hold but Strong makes the ropes for the break and then rolls out. Lethal does his trifecta running dives to the outside but Strong catches him on the third and gives him an Olympic Slam (called as such) on the floor. They both struggle to get back in the ring before the 20 count.
Another chop exchange and Lethal gets the best of it, dropping Strong with a DDT at the end. Lethal goes to the top rope but Strong catches up to his and they battle on the turnbuckle. Strong with a slam off the top and they both go flying. Strong puts on the Stronghold in the centre of the ring. Lethal maneuvers into a pinning combination for two. Lethal with a Superkick to set up the Lethal Injection. Strong kicks out and that draws some boos and a THAT WAS THREE chant.
Lethal questioning the ref as well and sets up for another Lethal Injection but takes his time and Strong rolls him up for two. Strong then hits three straight high knees and then sets Lethal up on the top turnbuckle. Lethal reverses into a Blockbuster from the top rope and that only gets a two. More boos from the crowd and Lethal is incredulous.
Lethal covers him a couple more times but Strong kicks out and then springs to his feet. Lethal with two straight superkicks and then runs the ropes but Strong catches him with a jumping knee. Gutbuster, Sick Kick and a Backbreaker follow. Strong then puts on the Stronghold in the centre and Lethal taps.
WINNER AND NEW ROH WORLD TV CHAMPION – RODERICK STRONG by submission
Announcers put this over huge as it’s the first time in over a year that Lethal’s been pinned. Martini and Hendrix out to console Lethal outside the ring as Strong celebrates in the ring.
Roderick Strong defeated Jay Lethal to win the ROH TV Title tonight at the TV tapings in Kalamazoo, MI.
Strong and Lethal had a series of ROH title matches the last few months with Lethal winning the series with a television match after a 60-minute match at the Death Before Dishonor iPPV in July. Lethal held both the World and TV Champions, a storyline that ROH had done prior to WWE doing the same storyline with Seth Rollins.
Lethal, who remains the current ROH World Champion having ended the year-plus win streak of Jay Briscoe, hadn’t lost a singles match in ROH in nearly one year.
Strong, considered by many to be one of the best wrestlers in the world, is now a two-time ROH TV Champion; a former ROH World Champion; a former ROH Tag Team Champion with Austin Aries; the 2005 Survival of the Fittest winner; the 2010 Honor Gauntlet winner; the 2010 Toronto Gauntlet winner; and the second Triple Crown Champion in company history.
