The CEO of AEW will make her official Ring of Honor debut on tonight’s ROH TV on HonorClub.
Ahead of her ROH Women’s TV title defense against Red Velvet at Friday’s Final Battle, Mercedes Mone will be in action against an opponent to be named.
The finals of the inaugural ROH Women’s Pure title tournament will be official as Billie Starkz takes on Yuka Sakazaki in the lone semifinal. Deonna Purrazzo has already advanced to Friday’s finals due to a forfeit by Queen Aminata.
The Beast Mortos will battle Komander while the Premier Athletes of Ariya Daivari, Tony Nese and Stori Denali will be in mixed trios action.
Wheeler Yuta & Daniel Garcia will enter the ROH tag team ranks while Dalton Castle & The Outrunners continue their run in the trios division.
Several matches for the Final Battle Zero Hour pre-show are also expected for tonight.
Our live coverage kicks off at 7 PM Eastern.
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Here we are, friends. Another Final Battle’s Eve is upon us. I hope that you and yours are gathered around the Final Battle tree, singing Final Battle carols and enjoying some Final Battle Nog. Don’t forget to leave cookies out for Athena and a carrot for Billie Starkz! (Seriously, they’ll break your stuff if you don’t feed them).
Tonight will round out the card for tomorrow’s magical Final Battle event (until Santa Tony gifts us with half a dozen day-of matches as he’s apt to do), so let’s get right into it.
The Beast Mortos (w/Sammy Guevara) vs. Komander
And there isn’t a bigger way to get into it than with The Beast Mortos! Mortos will compete in the ROH World Championship Survival of The Fittest match at ROH, along with his tag team partner Guevara and his opponent tonight, Komander.
Mortos waved off the Code of Honor, which brought out the matador in Komander as Mortos charged him and he dodged it. Mortos grabbed Komander and threw him into the corners with heavy spashes and lariats to follow.
Komander landed an awesome headscissor takedown to switch the momentum and set Mortos up for a charge in the corner. Mortos back body dropped him, but Komander scrambled to the top anyways for a missile dropkick.
Komander walked the ropes and tried a fancy move, but Mortos grabbed him off the rope and hit a knee to the back that split Komander in half. Mortos hung Komander up on the ropes and started undoing his mask. The ref called him off and Mortos puched Komander in the face instead.
Mortos dragged Komander to the middle of the ring and started messing with his mask again. Komander tried a quick rollup, but only got a two count. He rained down kicks on Mortos and took him down with a hurricanrana.
Mortos tried to intimidate Komander, but some chops and a top rope spingboard hurricanrana kept Komander on offense. Mortos exited the ring and Komander dove after him, flattening him on the entrance ramp.
Komander tossed Mortos back in and went up top. He went for a running splash, but Mortos moved and transitioned into a samoan drop. Mortos went for a powerbomb, but Komander turned it into some kicks and a DDT for a two count.
Komander charged, but Mortos caught him in another Samoan Drop. Mortos landed on his head though and seemed to daze himself. Komander went up top, but Mortos was playing possum and knocked him off the turnbuckle.
Mortos went for a superplex, but Komander came back with a hurricanarana. Mortos caught him though and delivered an inside-out lariat (I call it that because it turned Komander inside out). Mortos went for the cover, but Komander kicked out and hit a poisonrana.
Komander went up top again, bvut Sammy Guevara appeared and knocked him down, causing the DQ.
Match Result: Komander defeated The Beast Mortos via DQ
Guevara then pulled the mask off of a prone Komander. That summoned the RHO Champion, Bandido, who ran down to clear the ring and save Komander.
Suddenly, Don Callis appeared on the ramp and spoke worse Spanish than even I’m capable of. He introduced Hechicero who will also be in the Survival of The Fittest Match at final battle.
While he was doing this, Mortos and Hechicero jumped Bandido and Komander, taking them both out. Hechicero and Mortos then played tug-of-war with the Belt, which was broken up by Guevara. The three pulled it back and forth until Guevara put it down and the segment ended.
The Premier Athletes (Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari & Stori Denali) w/Mark Sterling vs Philly Collins, Marino Tanaglia and Zoey Lynn
The Athletes started off with their usual schtick and the match began with Daivari takingon the much larger Tanaglia. Nese tagged in and the two beat him up. Denali then tagged in and beat up Tanaglia for a bit. That did bring in Lynn though, who was about half the size of Denali and lasted about half a second.
Tags were flying fast as Nese tagged in and took out Colins with some stiff forearms. Collins managed to hold his own with an insiguri and tagged in Lynn who went for a crossbody on Nese and Davari, who caught her and threw her to Denali who finished her off with a chokeslam for the pin.
Match Result: The Premier Athletes defeated Philly Collins, Marino Tanaglia and Zoey Lynn
Sidney Akeem vs Rosario Grillo
Akeem danced his way to the ring. Grillo walked, but we don’t hold that against him.
Grillo immediately ducked through the ropes after the bell, playing some mind games with Akeem. When they locked up, Grillo got a wristlock on, but Akeem flipped it easily and after a kipup, sent grillo to the mat. Akeem dodged a lariat with an awesome matrix-style reverse duck.
Grillo sent him to the corner, but Akeem fought back and hit a dropkick, sending Grillo to the ropes. Grillio went for another lariat, but Akeem flipped over amnd ducked it. Grillo punched him in the face and the fight moved outside the ring until Akeem tossed Grillo back in.
Grillo bounced Akeem’s head off the turnbuckles repeatedly before Akeem hit a spinning crossbody and regained control. He threw a flurry of kicks and punches before, and follow me here, he ran up Grillo’s back, kicked him in the face and then landed on his feet. Yeah, I know.
Akeem hit a handspring cutter on Grillo and boom, that was it. Akeem got the win in impressive style.
Match result: Sidney Akeem defeated Rosario Grillo
Wow! Akeem looked amazing in this match. He was dodging and flipping everywhere and it all made sense and looked really impressive. He’s on his way for sure.
Dalton Castle & The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd) vs. Jake Omen, Austin Adonis and Josh Crane
The Outrunners are missing Fianl Battle tomorrow, but Dalton Castle will be in action taking on Ricochet in the latter’s first defense of the AEW National title.
Magnum kicked things off against Omen, who made them mistake of posing. Magnum immediately showed him the business and posed himself. That brought in Adonis and Floyd. Castle decided to join the fray and all three triple teamed Adonis.
Adonis dragged Magnum to the opposite corner for a little triple team of their own and then he and Crane tried for a double team. Magnum fought them off and Floyd came in so that they could do stereo splashes in the corner before Floyd hit a double bulldog.
Adonis slapped Floyd which hulked him up big time and he sent him flying. Castle tagged in and took out oall three of the opponents with a series of hip throws. The Outrunners cleared the ring and Castle grabbed Omen for a slam and an Outrunner double elbow.
Castle hoisted him up in a bangarang and that was it. Castle and the Outrunners go to 4-0 as a team.
Match Result: Dalton Castle & The Outrunners defeated Josh Crane, Austin Adonis and Jake Omen
After the match, Ricochet sauntered out to the entrance ramp and the Gates of Agony took out the Outrunners in the ring, leaving Castle to stand toe to toe with his opponent for tomorrow. All three went after Castle, and Ricochet belted him with, well, the belt. Castle lay prone in the ring while Ricochet and the Gates stood tall in the ring.
Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta & Daniel Garcia) vs. Damian & Damon Reel
Reely?
Anyway, Yuta and his hair arrived with Garcia through the crowd with their usual emo faces. Yuta and (I think) Damon started things off with Yuta and immediately fell victim to Yuta’s arm-based offense. Yuta dropkicked him into next week and Garcia took out the other Reel. The two then stomped Damon in the center of the ring.
Garcia tagged in and laid ten punches into Damon in the corner. Damon fought back a bit, but Garcia just tagged in Yuta who started working the leg of Damon. Yuta put him in a figure four and Garcia tagged in to punch him in the back of the head.
Damon got a tag to Damian who came in and ducked a few clotheslines. Garcia caught him with a big lariat though and Yuta kicked Damon off the ring apron. The two then traded speedy splashes on Damian in the corner. I mean about 2 dozen of them.
Garcia put Reel in a Sharpshooter and he tapped out quickly, giving the Death Riders the victory.
Match Result: Death Riders defeated Damian & Damon Reel
-Backstage, a very sad Queen Aminata (in full neck brace) officially forfeited her Women’s Pure Tournament Semi Final match with Deonna Purrazzo. Purrazzo moves into the finals against the winner of the other semifinal match, Yuka Sakazaki vs Billie Starkz.
“Undisputed” ROH Women’s TV Champion Mercedes Mone vs Lovely Miss Larkin
So they had been touting this as Mone’s ROH debut, but the chyron said she was 2-0, so along with her 13 or so belts, she also has that going for her.
Larkin seemed to be working a tourettes gimmick (?) and Mone immediately got her into a backstabber and lungblower into a rear naked a choke. That was it for Larkin as she tapped.
Match Result: Mercedes Mone defeated Lovely Miss Larkin
That was really disappointing. They played it up as a big deal debut, but Mone spent more time dancing to her theme music than in the match. I’m sure tomorrow nights match will be great, but what was the point of this?
ROH Women’s Pure Title Tournament Semi Final Match: Yuka Sakazaki vs. Billie Starkz
The clock started and Starkz kicked off the match making fun of Sakazaki’s height. From there, Starkz sent Sakazaki into the ropes to cost her a break at 58:39. Stakz tried to set her up for a submission, but Sakazaki sent her out of the ring.
Sakazaki followed Starkz outside and sent her into the ring apron (the Sakazakiest part of the ring!) and then back into the ring. Starkz grabbed Sakazaki by the hair and sent her to the mat. She clubbed her in the corner and whipped her across the ring.
Starkz hit a DDT and went for a cover, but only got a two count. Sakazaki got up and started throwing elbows. Sakazaki tied Starkz up in the ropes, forcing a break at 55:33. Starkz cam right back, putting Sakazaki into a combination arm and neck hold.
Sakazaki fired back up and hit a bit strike on Starkz, who responded with her one closed fist shot. Starkz hit a suplex and went back to the raised arm lock, forcing Sakazaki to use her scond break at 54:14.
Sakazaki dropped a knee from there and picked up Starkz for a snow plow. She went for the cover but Starkz kicked out at two. Sakazaki grabbed an ankle lock in the middle of the ring and Starkz pulled them both to the ropes, using her second break at 52:26.
Sakazaki went up top, but Starkz threw her off and went up top hersself. She tried a Swanton, but Sakazaki moved and went up for a crossbody. She tried the pin, but Starkz kicked out at two.
Starkz then slammed Sakazaki with a resolve slam. She tried a leg lock, but Sakazaki kicked her way out of it. Starkz put it back on and wrenched the knee. Sakazaki grabbed Starkz ankle and the to twisted each other’s legs, neither one wanting to use their last break.
Starkz wrenched down and Sakazaki pulled back and both women used their final breaks simultaneously at 50:25, a first in a Pure Match!
They started trading forearms, wth Sakazaki coming out on top. Starkz went for a big boot and the slugging continued. Starkz stacked Sakazaki up and used the ropes for leverage (apparently totally legal!) to pin Sakazaki and punch her ticket to the finals at Final Battle tomorrow night!
Match Result: Billie Starkz defeated Yuka Sakazaki
