Ring of Honor returns to pay-per-view on a busy Friday night in pro wrestling with Supercard of Honor.
ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli will defend the title against past friend and rival Eddie Kingston. The two have had a history dating back to 2004 and will meet in singles action for the first time since 2011.
After their recent star-making performances on AEW Dynamite, AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo will defend against Komander while NJPW legend Hiroshi Tanahashi will answer the challenge of Daniel Garcia.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena defends against Yuka Sakazaki, ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta will defend against NJPW star Katsuyori Shibata, ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe defends against Mark Briscoe, and ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Embassy defend against AR Fox, Blake Christian & Metalik.
The ROH Tag Team titles will find a new home as The Kingdom, Lucha Brothers, Top Flight, Aussie Open and Rush & Dralistico will battle in a ladder match for the vacant titles.
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**Zero Hour**
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman welcomed us to the Galen Center on the campus of USC for the Zero Hour pre-show before throwing to our first match of the night.
Jeff Cobb defeated Tracy Williams
Both men had on black armbands with Jay Briscoe’s name printed. After starting with some grappling, Cobb stuffed a headlock takeover attempt and sent Williams flying with a Spin Cycle side suplex. Cobb won a strike battle with a palm thrust to the neck before hitting a stalling suplex for a nearfall. Williams avoided a standing moonsault and went for a facelock, but Cobb powered up to his feet. Williams took Cobb down with a side suplex. Cobb went after Williams in the corner, but Williams caught Cobb with a DDT for a nearfall.
Cobb lifted Williams up, but Williams got a small package for another nearfall. Cobb ducked a set of lariats before hitting a German suplex. Williams went for a set of strikes before Cobb suddenly finished proceedings with a Tour of the Islands.
– Riccaboni and Coleman announce that this show will be done in honor of the late Jay Briscoe before throwing to a hype video for the Shibata/Yuta Pure Title match.
– Bobby Cruise welcomed the third commentator for the night, former ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Willie Mack
Mack and Takeshita hammered each other with shoulder blocks, with Mack winning the exchange with a punch. Takeshita gained a head of steam before laying out Mack with a flying clothesline. Takeshita looked to follow up with a dive to the floor, but Mack evaded it and laid out Takeshita with a lariat. Back in the ring, the men traded headscissors, with Takeshita sending Mack to the floor. Takeshita hit a senton to the floor and sent Mack into the ring, where Mack answered with a senton to the floor of his own.
Back in the ring, Takeshita fought up from a chinlock but got taken down by a Mack lariat. Mack hit a jumping Shining Wizard and followed with a Samoan Drop. Mack nipped up and hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Takeshita fired up with elbows, but Mack dropped him with a dropkick. Mack went to follow up, but Takeshita dropped him with a lariat for a two count.
Takeshita set up for the Blue Thunder Bomb, but Mack fought out and went for a Stunner. Takeshita fought out, but Mack hit two Stunners. Takeshita answered with a jumping knee and a Stunner of his own, but Mack got the last word in the exchange with a Shining Wizard.
The crowd chanted This Is Awesome as both men got up. Mack hit an exploder suplex into the corner before smashing Takeshita with a cannonball. Mack went to the top for a frog splash, but Takeshita moved out of the way. Takeshita hit the Blue Thunder Bomb before scoring the win with the running knee strike.
– In the middle of that match, it was announced that Komander vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo would be the opener.
– We got a hype video for the Women’s World Title match between Athena and Yuka Sakazaki.
Willow Nightingale defeated Miranda Alize
Alize smacked away Nightingale’s hand for the Code of Honor, which Nightingale responded to by tossing Alize around with suplexes. Alize bailed out of the ring, forcing Nightingale to chase her before catching her with a spike rana. Nightingale fought back with chops before Alize clawed at her eyes to get away. Alize hit a face wash boot and a shotgun dropkick before scoring a nearfall with a butterfly suplex.
Nightingale cartwheeled out of the way of an Alize attack and went on offense, hitting a spinebuster for a nearfall. Alize hit a ripcord knee and a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Alize hit a low dropkick and a DDT for another nearfall, which she quickly followed with an armbar. Nightingale rolled her up to get out of the hold before hitting a Spicolli Driver for a two count.
Alize ducked a cannonball and spun Nightingale around into a cutter. Alize set up for the Drive By knee, but Willow ducked it and hit a pounce. Nightingale dropped the straps and hit the Babe With The Powerbomb for the win.
– We got a hype video for the Reach For The Sky ladder match, the Mark Briscoe/Samoa Joe Television Title match, and the Eddie Kingston/Claudio Castagnoli World Title match.
Stu Grayson (w/Evil Uno) defeated Slim J (w/Ari Daivari & Smart Mark Sterling)
It’s not a new-era ROH show until the Trustbusters show up. That’s not a good thing. Slim J is good though, and this was a fine showcase for the returning Grayson.
Grayson overpowered Slim J to start, sending him flying with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. After convening with his team on the outside, Slim J hit a pair of headscissors, but Grayson hit one of his own. Grayson hit an inside-out senton to Slim J on the apron. Sterling and Daivari ran distraction, allowing Slim J to hit a hurricane kick off the top rope before ripping off his pricey t-shirt.
Slim J hit a springboard reverse DDT for a two count. Slim J laid in strikes that only fired up Grayson, leading to a Grayson offensive flurry. Grayson hit a springboard twisting senton for a two count. Slim J caught Grayson in a sleeper hold, but Grayson hit a pop-up powerslam for a nearfall. Slim J fought out of a backbreaker and hit a standing Sliced Bread for a nearfall.
Slim J went to the top rope and missed a high-arcing moonsault. Sterling got involved again, leading to Evil Uno taking him and Daivari out. Grayson got his hands on Slim J and finally hit the Nightfall to score the win.
– After the match, former ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions Vincent and Dutch of the Righteous made their way to the stage and menaced the Dark Order team.
**Main Card**
– Riccaboni, Coleman, & McGuinness welcomed us to the main card before introducing our first match.
AAA Mega Title Match: El Hijo del Vikingo defeated Komander to retain
An absolutely dazzling affair. The raw athleticism on display was unreal. You would think these two came from a different planet with the moves they pulled off. I cannot recommend this match enough, as this was a fantastic way to kick off Supercard of Honor.
We got a pop at the bell as the crowd was red hot for this match. Komander caught Vikingo by the legs and went for a trap pinfall that only got a two count. Vikingo responded by trapping Komander in a surfboard stretch that Komander got out of. They got their legs tied up, eventually ending up in a headstand. They slapped each other out of it before Vikingo sent Komander to the floor. Vikingo hit a Fosbury Flop and landed with Komander in a reverse DDT position, but Komander reversed position. They do-si-do’ed position before Vikingo sent Komander in the ring.
Komander sent Vikingo to the floor and hit a top rope dive. He hit a senton to the floor before pulling out a table. Komander hit a 450 splash to Vikingo on the floor. Back in the ring, Vikingo got back in control, hitting an imploding hurricanrana and a hurricane kick. Vikingo hit a meteora that sent Komander to the floor. Komander got his knees up on a Shooting Star Press from the apron. Komander went for a rope-walk shooting star, but Vikingo got his feet up.
Vikingo hit a snap Frankensteiner for a nearfall before following up with a spinning uranage. Vikingo went for a double jump springboard hurricanrana, but Komander caught him with a powerbomb for a nearfall. Komander went to the top, but Vikingo shoved him down to the floor. Vikingo stood on the top of the ringpost, then hit a springboard imploding 450 to Komander on the floor. This is madness!
Vikingo sent Komander in the ring and hit a outside-in Phoenix Splash for a nearfall. They rolled to the apron, where they engaged in a strike battle. Komander rolled up onto Vikingo’s shoulder before hitting a Destroyer on the apron. Komander went to the turnbuckle on the far-side of the ring and hit his rope-walk soaring dive to a massive pop. Back in the ring, Komander hit the rope-walk Shooting Star Press successfully, but only got a nearfall.
Komander went back to the well, but Vikingo knocked him down onto the ropes. Vikingo went to the top, but Komander walked the ropes to him. Vikingo then caught Komander off the top rope with a Canadian Destroyer that sent Komander to the table on the floor. Vikingo hit a step-up 630 to Komander on the table that didn’t break the table, but was no less spectacular.
Vikingo went to the top rope and missed the 630 Splash into the ring. Komander went to the top rope and hit a twisting Phoenix Splash, but Vikingo grabbed the rope on the cover. Komander took Vikingo to the top rope, but Vikingo slammed him down with the twisting uranage off the top. Vikingo hit a Meteora in the corner before crushing Komander with a 630 to win this incredible match.
ROH World Six Man Tag Team Title Match: The Embassy (Brian Cage, Toa Liona & Kaun) (w/Prince Nana) defeated AR Fox, Blake Christian & Metalik to retain
This match had a solid story, with the challengers trying to blitz the champions before they got their feet under them. Eventually, the Embassy were able to keep one guy isolated long enough to win. There was no way they could match the spectacle that the opener was, but this was a solid trios match nonetheless.
The challengers brought the fight to the champions, sending them to the floor before hitting a triple dive to the floor. Metalik tried to follow with a crossbody onto Liona, but Liona caught him and sent him down with a twisting senton. The champions isolated Metalik, who hit a back elbow to tag out to Fox. Fox hit a set of cutters on Cage, before taking out Kaun with a cutter. Liona tried to cut him off, but Fox ducked his charge and hit dives onto Kaun and Cage. Fox hit a top rope senton onto Cage for a nearfall.
Cage caught Fox on a dive and hit an F-5 before tagging out to Liona. Fox got the tag out to Christian, who took out Kaun on the apron before hitting a Fosbury Flop to Liona on the floor. Metalik hit a splash, but Liona kicked out before the ref started counting. The Embassy isolated Christian, hitting a top rope backbreaker and an apron splash on him. Fox cut off Cage and hit a powerbomb, leading to a flurry of offense on Cage. This broke down into a pier 6 brawl, ending with Metalik hitting a DDT on Liona.
Cage lined up a powerbomb, but Christian walked on Kaun’s back to hit a Destroyer on Cage. Kaun and Liona took out Christian with a facebuster. Metalik and Cage were left alone in the ring, with Cage hitting the Drillclaw to win the match and retain the titles.
ROH Women’s World Title Match: Athena defeated Yuka Sakazaki to retain
This wasn’t as good as Athena’s title defenses on Ring of Honor television as it lacked the hyper-intensity that those matches had, but this was still a quality title match. Athena has become one of the most compelling women’s wrestlers in America just from the viciousness of her offense.
Athena charged Sakazaki to start, but the opening challenge ended in a stalemate. Sakazaki picked up steam, hitting a headscissors that sent Athena to the floor before following it with a step-up cannonball to the floor. Athena tried bailing through the crowd, but Sakazaki caught up with her and sent her back in the ring. Athena sidestepped a missile dropkick and brought Sakazaki down with a Black Hole Slam.
Athena caught Sakazaki’s leg on a corner charge and drove her down to the mat by the neck. Sakazaki hit a jawbreaker and followed with a sliding lariat for a nearfall. Sakazaki hit an up kick in the corner before Athena caught her on a headscissors attempt. Athena hit a trio of powerbombs for a nearfall. Athena hit the double-knee facebuster for a nearfall as the crowd chanted for Sakazaki. Sakazaki rolled to the apron where Athena dropkicked her to the floor.
Athena hit a wheelbarrow suplex to Sakazaki on the floor. She tried to follow with a dropkick into the barricade, but Sakazaki moved. Sakazaki hit a big slam on the floor before sending Athena into the ring steps. Sakazaki got on the stage and took a long run before hitting Athena with a running Thesz Press. Back in the ring, Sakazaki hit a splash from the top rope for a nearfall.
Sakazaki hit a quintet of forearms before setting up her finish, but Athena drilled her with a forearm of her own. Sakazaki grabbed the ropes to break the pin. Athena went to the top for the O-Face, but Sakazaki met her on the top and hit a superplex. Sakazaki hit her spinning facebuster finish – think Dalton Castle’s Bang-a-rang but inverted – but Athena kicked out. Sakazaki went for a top-rope splash again, but Athena sent the referee into the ropes and took Sakazaki down with an elevated O-Face for the win.
ROH World Television Title Match: Samoa Joe defeated Mark Briscoe to retain
A stunning result here to a really good, hard-hitting match.
Joe bailed out of the ring to start, letting the emotion of the moment simmer down before locking up with Briscoe. Briscoe peppered Joe with Redneck Kung Fu strikes before engaging in a chop battle that Briscoe won with a chop to the neck. Briscoe hit the Spicolli Driver and went for the Froggy Bow, but Joe rolled out of the ring. Briscoe charged Joe on the floor, but Joe took Briscoe down with a suplex to the floor.
Back in the ring, Joe hammered Briscoe with strikes and dropped him with a back elbow. Joe kept control with heavy strikes, but Briscoe fired up after Joe started laying in the punches. Joe ducked a corner charge and hit the body block/enzuigiri combination to send Briscoe to the floor. Briscoe came back in the ring only for Joe to send him back to the floor and hit the Elbow Suicida.
Joe grabbed a chair, but Briscoe cut him off with a baseball slide. Briscoe used the chair to hit a step-up dive over the top before pulling a table out from under the ring. Hopefully it wasn’t the same table that Vikingo used. Briscoe hit a running blockbuster off the apron through the table. Back in the ring, Briscoe laid in the chops on Joe, but Joe responded with elbows and a headbutt. Briscoe took Joe down with a forearm off the ropes.
As both men recovered, Ian Riccaboni announced that Supercard of Honor broke the all-time ROH gate record in Southern California. I don’t think there’s much competition there, but a record is a record. Briscoe crawled to the corner for a tag, but instead fired himself up and hit a uranage for a nearfall. Joe fought out of a Jay Driller attempt and hit the snap powerslam for a nearfall. Joe hit a powerbomb, and when Briscoe kicked out, transitioned into the ST-Joe. When Briscoe started crawling to the ropes, Joe transitioned to a crossface, but Briscoe got to the ropes regardless.
Briscoe fired up, fighting through a high-angle back suplex, but Joe landed a big lariat for a nearfall. Joe’s nose was busted as he set up the Muscle Buster, but Briscoe fought off and hit a boot that sent Joe to the mat. Briscoe went to the top and hit the Froggy Bow, but only got a close nearfall. Briscoe called for the Jay Driller, but Joe powered out again. Joe countered the Cut-Throat Driver and locked in the Coquina Clutch. He sent Briscoe up and over with a sleeper suplex before locking in the Clutch again, forcing Briscoe to pass out.
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Daniel Garcia
This was a good match. I realize saying that about a Tanahashi singles match is like saying the grass is green, but good is about all this match was. The work was smart, but the crowd still felt down from the Briscoe loss. They did get up for Tanahashi’s signature offense.
Garcia is entering this match without any Jericho Appreciation Society backup. Tanahashi is entering this one without his front teeth, as his veneers broke while eating an apple yesterday. Garcia grabbed a hold of Tanahashi’s hair and laid in shots to Tanahashi’s back. Tanahashi came back with a back elbow and a crossbody off the second rope. Tanahashi beat Garcia around the ring, but Garcia took control after a drop toe hold onto the stairs.
Garcia worked over Tanahashi’s knee before playing his own air guitar to boos. Garcia does more work on Tanahashi’s leg before getting distracted by the crowds chant of You’re A Wrestler. Garcia channels Shinsuke Nakamura by hitting Tanahashi with the good vibrations boot in the corner. He hit the Nakamura pose on the ropes to massive heat as Ian Riccaboni promoted a very special announcement from Tony Khan this Wednesday on Dynamite. Hmm.
Tanahashi fought back and hit the second-rope senton for a nearfall. Garcia cut off Tanahashi and hit a scissors kick for a nearfall. Tanahashi and Garcia engaged in a strike battle that became a boot-to-the-knee battle that Garcia won. Garcia went for a Sharpshooter, but Tanahashi rolled him up for a nearfall. Tanahashi caught Garcia’s boot and hit a Dragon Screw before locking on the Texas Cloverleaf.
Garcia reached the ropes and dropped Tanahashi with a kneebreaker and a German suplex. Garcia hit the Bryan Danielson running knee for a nearfall. Garcia went for a piledriver, but Tanahashi maneuvered into the Twist and Shout before landing the Slingblade for a nearfall. Tanahashi went to the top rope and hit the High Fly Flow for the win. Garcia denied Tanahashi a handshake after the match.
Reach For The Sky Ladder Match for ROH World Tag Team Titles: The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) defeated Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin), The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett), Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis), & La Faccion Ingobernable (Dralistico & Rush) to win the titles
Absolute mayhem from start to finish.
You will have to forgive me if I don’t catch every spot in this one folks. LFI and the Kingdom stay in the ring, clearing out the rest of the teams before the Kingdom dropped LFI and sent them to the floor. Top Flight avoided a ladder attack and dropkicked the ladder into both members of the Kingdom. LFI tied up Top Flight in the corner, allowing Rush to crush them with a ladder-assisted Bull’s Horns. Aussie Open caught Dralistico with the Dental Plan before dropping Rush with the tandem cutter.
The Lucha Brothers come in and take out Aussie Open with a wheelbarrow splash on top of those two and a ladder. We got a run of dives, peaking with the Kingdom taking out Darius Martin with an inside-out Doomsday Device. LFI isolated Penta and sent him into the post as the Kingdom set up a massive pile of tables on the floor. Aussie Open laid out the Kingdom with dual piledrivers. They sandwiched a Martin brother with two ladders on the floor.
Aussie Open set up the ladder, but the Lucha Brothers cut them off. The Kingdom was busted open on the stage. LFI took out the Lucha Brothers, but the Kingdom fought back in. Bennett and Rush climbed the ladder, but climbed down and moved the ladder to fight to a big pop from the crowd. Rush wiped Bennett’s blood on his chest before engaging in a chop battle. Rush won it but got met with a King of the King from Taven. Dralistico sent Taven into a ladder in the corner with a suplex.
Darius Martin cut off Dralistico before catapulting Dante Martin to the top. They took out Rush with a dropkick to a chair, but Aussie Open took out Top Flight by sending them into a ladder. Aussie Open send both Lucha Brothers into ladders with a beel throw. Dante Martin dropkicked Fletcher in the ankles to knock him off the ladder. Darius Martin hit a Spanish Fly off a ladder bridge to Matt Taven. Dante Martin took out Bennett with a sunset flip powerbomb, but got dropped by Aussie Open with the Coriolis. Aussie Open took out Darius Martin with a tandem spinebuster onto a ladder bridge on the floor.
Dralistico sent Fletcher off the apron into the announce table with a rana. The Kingdom double-teamed Dralistico, with Taven sending Dralistico through a ladder with a splash. Rush sent Davis into a ladder with a German suplex off the apron. Jose The Assistant and Alex Abrahantes got into fisticuffs. Dante Martin tried fighting off both Lucha Brothers, but Penta sent Dante off of a ladder bridge through four tables with a Canadian Destroyer. The Kingdom tried fighting off Fenix, but Fenix fought them off and grabbed the titles to win.
After the match, Mark Briscoe and FTR raised the arms of the Lucha Brothers.
ROH Pure Title Match: Katsuyori Shibata defeated Wheeler Yuta (w/ Jon Moxley) to win the title
Yuta got himself in way over his head. On ROH TV, he had been toying around with his opponents, showing his proficiency in the Pure style. He got a big head and made a challenge to man much better than him and found out he made a massive mistake. This was a great culmination of Yuta’s work over the past month of work in Ring of Honor. Seeing Shibata in the ring, holding a Ring of Honor Championship is surreal.
Pat Buck, Madison Rayne, and Christopher Daniels were the judges.
Seeing Shibata in the ring is still surreal after all of these years. Moxley made his way to the back during the opening exchanges. Shibata won the early exchanges, almost scoring with the Penalty Kick before Yuta moved. Shibata was in firm control early on, tying Yuta up in a figure four leglock. Yuta tried hard to escape the hold, but was forced to use his first rope break. Yuta rarely used his rope breaks in his television defenses of the title, so this is signaling a big step up in competition for the champion.
Shibata got Yuta in position and laid in the hammer-and-anvil elbows. McGuinness reminisced about the time “Clam Digger Danielson” beat him for the Pure Title with those strikes. Yuta escaped a figure four head lock by forcing Shibata on his shoulders for a pin cover. Yuta took hold of Shibata’s arm and began working on it, but Shibata worked his way to his feet and stomped Yuta in the chest. Yuta laid in the chops to Shibata, who didn’t sell it and hit a palm strike that sent Yuta to the corner.
Yuta trapped the referee and hit a low blow behind the referee’s back. The referee did see Yuta hit Shibata with a closed fist, which earned a warning. Yuta worked over Shibata and taunted him with boots. Yuta tried chopping Shibata again, but Shibata walked into them and drilled Yuta with an elbow. Shibata hit the face wash before landing the picture-perfect basement dropkick. A suplex landed for a nearfall.
Yuta used his second rope break as Shibata pulled him off the ropes. Shibata booted Yuta in the chest repeatedly, with Yuta spitting in his face. Yuta hit a set of strikes and went for the Seatbelt pin cover, but Shibata cut it off. Yuta went for the rebound suplex, but Shibata slapped him in the face and locked him in the sleeper choke. Yuta went down, leading to Shibata hitting the Penalty Kick to win the match and the Pure Title. After the match, Yuta blew off the Code of Honor and left to boos.
– The announcers ran down the card for Dynamite this week, including the additions of Sammy Guevara vs. Komander and Hook vs. Ethan Page for the FTW Title. They also announced that Athena would defend the ROH Women’s World Title against Miyu Yamashita on ROH TV this Thursday.
ROH World Title Match: Claudio Castagnoli defeated Eddie Kingston to retain
A match with intensity and fire that built up to an excellent crescendo. Kingston once again came up short against Castagnoli, but he proved that the talent gap between the two wasn’t as steep as Castagnoli believed. With the next set of Ring of Honor tapings coming in New York, I wouldn’t be surprised if a rematch came about, replaying the decade-old Chikara story that is so foundational to this feud. An excellent, emotionally charged main event to this show.
Kingston tackled Castagnoli to start, laying in the strikes to start. Castagnoli sent Kingston out of the ring with a set of uppercuts. Kingston grabbed a chair, but let the referee take it out of the ring. Castagnoli hit a side suplex, but Kingston came back with chops and a headlock. Kingston went after Castagnoli’s knee, sending him into a split. Castagnoli bailed to the floor to stop the attack. Kingston went for a dive, but Castagnoli cut him off with an uppercut in the ropes.
Kingston and Castagnoli brawled in the ropes, with Castagnoli tying Kingston up and hitting open hand slaps to Kingston. He dragged Kingston over the second rope to the floor with a suplex. Castagnoli hit a double stomp to Kingston before following it with a diving headbutt for a nearfall. Kingston and Castagnoli exchanged palm strikes, with Castagnoli cutting it off to spin Kingston with the Giant Swing. He only got three rotations, as Kingston’s work on the knee forced Castagnoli to stop.
Castagnoli hit a running uppercut in the corner and sent Kingston to the top rope. Kingston threw more palm strikes, with Castagnoli answering with a dropkick to Kingston seated on the top rope. Castagnoli went to the top and brought Kingston with him before bringing him down with a Superplex that scored a nearfall. Castagnoli laid in the boots before double stomping Kingston in the face, but Kingston cut off a cover attempt by clawing Castagnoli in the face.
Kingston hit an enzuigiri that sent Castagnoli to the floor, and quickly followed with a dive. Kingston hit an exploder suplex on the floor and rolled back in the ring. Castagnoli followed and was met with a bulldog off the second rope for a nearfall. Kingston tried for a side suplex, but Castagnoli didn’t go and clubbed at him with strikes. Castagnoli went for a big uppercut, but Kingston hooked him in the Stretch Plum.
Castagnoli got to the ropes, so Kingston hit the Backdrop Driver for a nearfall. Castagnoli blasted Kingston with elbows and hit a German suplex. We had a forearm battle. Kingston had a backfist blocked, and Castagnoli hit a heavy lariat for a nearfall. Castagnoli laid in the knees to Kingston’s midsection, setting up the Ricola Bomb. But Kingston slipped out and hit the Backfist for a tight nearfall.
Castagnoli rolled to the apron, where Kingston tried to hit an Exploder off the apron. But Castagnoli got Kingston in a gutwrench and suplexed him off of the apron to the floor. Castagnoli grabbed the barricade and threw it into Kingston’s back multiple times. Castagnoli dumped Kingston’s limp body into the ring and called for the running uppercut. He hit it clean, but Kingston kicked out at two. Castagnoli talked trash and slapped Kingston, but Kingston answered back with two Backfists.
Castagnoli hit the Neutralizer, but Kingston kicked out at one. Castagnoli rebounded with a massive uppercut, but Kingston kicked out again. Castagnoli laid in heavy uppercuts and went for the Ricola Bomb, but Kingston rolled through into a pin. Castagnoli rolled into a pin of his own to steal the win and retain the title.
After the match, Wheeler Yuta came to the ring to help Castagnoli up. They cornered Kingston before Katsuyori Shibata made his way to the ring to even the odds. They had a tense staredown before Castagnoli and Yuta left the ring. Kingston grabbed the mic and swore a lot before closing the show by saying that he wasn’t going anywhere, and that he would still be coming for Castagnoli and the title.
