Post by Brain Of J on Nov 7, 2014 21:18:29 GMT -5
Your final preview for
Final Battle: The End Of The Line
Live, only on pay-per-view
December 27, 2009
A trilogy concludes and the ROH World Men's Championship is on the line!
“The Angel Reborn” Christopher Daniels (c) vs. “The Ripper” Paul Burchill
It's a rematch that wasn't supposed to happen … but in the end, both men want it. Maybe even need it. Christopher Daniels thought he'd put Paul Burchill behind him after two grueling matches that saw Daniels retain only on technicalities and trickery. But Burchill stepped up and helped his Trios Tournament team win out the night, granting him the opportunity for one dream match at Final Battle. There was no hesitation and no question in Burchill's mind what that one match would be. Twice, victory was snatched from his hands. Twice, the ROH World Men's Championship was all but his, and circumstance conspired against him. Now, the stage is set for one, final rematch. Daniels, having unified the splintered championship lineage with a definitive defeat of Eddie Kingston, has already proven he is no paper champion, but the ghosts of his two matches with Burchill haunt his reign. Likewise, Burchill cannot shake the specter of is failures, however they happened. Both men need a win to erase doubts, answer questions, and shake off the ghosts. Only one man will walk with his head held high and gold on his waist. Will Burchill finally succeed on his third try and ascend to a mountaintop many told him he never would? Or will Daniels put to bed the doubts and whispers and take his place among ROH's most elite champions?
The crusade ends tonight ... and so will careers in a Texas tornado grudge match!
BJ Whitmer & Chris Hero vs. “The King Of Kings” Adam Pearce & “The Career Killer” Claudio Castagnoli
No disqualifications, no count-outs, no interference. If Whitmer/Hero win, The Honor Guard dissolves, Pearce and Don Callis leave ROH and control reverts to Cary Silken. If Pearce/Castagnoli win, Whitmer and Hero leave ROH forever.
It was twelve long months ago that BJ Whitmer's association with The Honor Guard came to an end. At best, it was a tenuous marriage; the fledgling and insurgent Guard needed soldiers, and Whitmer wanted help getting revenge on Chris Hero. When the Guard betrayed Whitmer, a course was set by Whitmer himself: a crusade, to defeat, one by one, every member of the Guard, until only Adam Pearce, the orchestrater of his betrayal, remained. Twelve months later, after twists and turns – the near-failure against Claudio Castagnoli, the forfeiture of Bryan Danielson that secretly derailed his aspirations, the improbable Trios Tournament victory, and the ironic twist of partnering with Hero – the end is upon us. Whitmer's crusade has come to the end, and with it, careers will end too. If Whitmer and Hero emerge victorious, Pearce and Don Callis will be ousted, The Honor Guard will be broken, and control of ROH will revert back to Cary Silken. If The Honor Guard win, Whitmer and Hero are forevermore done in ROH. Will Whitmer and Hero free Ring Of Honor from the iron grip of Don Callis? Or will The Honor Guard solidify their hold on the promotion and send its most loyal stalwart hero and loudest, most controversial superstar to the unemployment line?
ROH's war against The Family will be fought on the ultimate battleground: War Games!
Ruckus, “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, “The Instant Classic” Christian Cage, “The Crown Jewel” Nigel McGuinness and “The It Factor” Bobby Roode vs. The Family (Jimmy Jacobs, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge, “The Enemy” Tyler Black, ? & ?)
Many promotions have felt the sting of a faction of wrestlers who ran roughshod over the roster; The Four Horsemen, the New World Order, The Triple Threat and The Freebirds all etched their names in the history books by turning promotions into their personal playgrounds. But none of them, even at their most heinous, ever became so monstrous, so devoid of humanity as The Family. Where the Horsemen or the Freebirds simply wanted to be the unquestioned shining stars of their respective galaxies, The Family wants to eliminate the competition, permanently. Defeated isn’t good enough; they want crippling injuries, they want rivers of blood, and they want retirements. And they make no distinction between “good guys” or “bad guys”. All they see are victims in waiting. And while they’ve made enemies and been rocked back on their heels, they always come back harder and stronger and make people pay with carnage. But now, the sides will be even, and there will be no chance for retreat. Ruckus, part of the triumphant Trios Tournament team, has foregone personal glory in exchange for standing up for ROH against Trish Stratus’ cult-like Family. He has his teammates, who have all suffered unto the Family: Christian Cage, once a friend to Edge, now trying to bring an end to the manipulative monster in the name of Matt Hardy. Bryan Danielson, who saw his mentor and trainer Shawn Michaels ran out of the company. Nigel McGuinness, who was merely caught in the crossfire of The Family proving a point to Don Callis. And now, Bobby Roode, nemesis to Roderick Strong, assigned to the match at the eleventh hour to replace Raven. These five men will stand against the bloodthirsty followers of Trish Stratus … but will that be enough? What surprises does Trish Stratus have in store with her two mystery opponents? Could one be Roderick Strong? Can ROH extinguish the inferno of The Family, or will Ruckus and his crew get burned by Trish’s assembly of monsters?
A four-corners elimination match to crown ROH's first Women's World Champion!
“Death Ray” Sara Del Ray vs. “The Banshee” MsChif vs. Amazing Kong vs. Shantelle Taylor
Women's wrestling has long faced a credibility challenge in the United States. Years of scantily-clad centerfolds rolling in pudding or winning by stripping have not done the ladies who get into wrestling because they genuinely love it any favors. Even ROH Chairman Don Callis perpetuated the bias, until the athleticism of the women (as well as pressure from network officials) forced his hand to sanction a Women's World Championship. But even with some of the best talent available, the old biases still pervaded, and strangely, it came from the competitors themselves. MsChif and Amazing Kong showed no respect for Shantelle Taylor, a woman as pretty as any pin-up model, but a skillset that showed she was no Barbie doll. She finally won the respect of Sara Del Ray, which caused a schism between Del Ray and Kong and MsChif, fracturing their tenuous alliance. Now, the stage is set. Four women will walk into the ring and, one by one, they will leave until one is left standing. She will write her name into the history books as ROH's first Women's World Champion. Will Kong or MsChif put down the “pretty princess” and Del Ray? Will “Death Ray” prove once again why she is considered the yardstick for women's wrestling? Or will Taylor win the championship and silence the last of the doubters?
The vacant Bold Future Championship is on the line in a no-time-limit match - there must be a winner!
The Night Shadow vs. “The Iron Czar” Boris Alexiev
For months, Boris Alexiev has been fighting to regain the ROH Bold Future Championship which he and his manager Truth Martini was unrightfully stripped from his waist after defecting from ROH. Stymied at nearly every opportunity, he finally found himself in contention … and so did a newcomer to ROH, the mysterious Night Shadow. Nothing is known about this enigma's identity, save that he is someone who had been blackballed and sat on the sidelines, so he's masked himself to prove he belongs in a national promotion on skill alone. His skill has shone through and won him a number of matches, which has put him at odds with Alexiev's quest for gold. Several times, they've done battle, to no clear victor. Up until twenty-four hours ago, this match was going to kill two birds with one stone: prove the better man by removing the time limit and giving the referee the option to relax the rules, and elevate one to the number one contender spot. That was, until, Kevin Steen became the first man to last three months with the BFC. Now, the championship is vacant. There must be a winner, and instead of winning an opportunity, that man will be crowned champion. Can Alexiev finally recapture the prize that was taken from him not in a ring but in a boardroom? Or will The Night Shadow continue to exonerate his mysterious and unspoken past with championship gold?
A tag team grudge match!
“The Professional” Scott Lost & Brian “Spanky” Kendrick vs. The Elite (“Must-See” Matt Sydal & “The Compton Coverboy” Jack Evans)
When Shawn Michaels was sucked into a war with the arrogant duo of Matt Sydal and Jack Evans, he was at a low point in his career. He'd come off a failed effort to put down Claudio Castagnoli, and a first-round exit from the Trios Tournament. His failure to get a win over The Elite would be one of the last images we as fans would see of Shawn Michaels in ROH before The Family would drive him out of the company. But The Elite couldn't leave it alone. Even with Michaels gone, Matt Sydal and Jack Evans had to pour salt in the wound. Finally, it would become all too much for Brian Kendrick, a former student of Shawn Michaels, to handle. He and Scott Lost targeted The Elite, not for revenge or retribution, but for a lesson in respect. Moving up the ROH World Tag Title ranks is irrelevant to Lost and Kendrick; it's all about putting The Elite in their place. For The Elite, it's about making Lost and Kendrick regret ever tagging up, let alone getting into their business. Will Kendrick and Lost win one for their fallen friend? Or are The Elite truly everything their name claims?
A triple threat grudge match!
Kory Chavis vs “The Alpha Male” Monty Brown vs. “The Viper” Randy Orton
The three men in this match all took very different roads to get here, but they all share one thing: the need of a win to jump-start their singles careers. For Kory Chavis, his return to ROH after battling the personal demons of addiction was met with the mocking by a former partner who was in the grip of alcohol, and a short-lived tag team with Harry Smith before Smith decided to pursue a singles career. For Randy Orton, the poster boy from another promotion was expected to make serious waves and be an instant threat to the Men's World Championship, but has found the competition much stiffer than he expected, and no free lunches off his name. For Monty Brown, expectations were low; so low, he languished in developmental until he forced his way onto the main roster alongside Chris Bosh. While he has impressed many with much more ability than anyone expected, he hasn't made the kind of impact he himself was hoping for, which led to leaving the spotlight-hogging Bosh behind. Brown's selfish, careerist attitude earned him the ire of Chavis after a match, and Orton as well … but Orton and Chavis don't see eye to eye on the Brown issue either. Chavis seems more intent on teaching Brown respect, while Orton seems offended that he has to deal with Brown. The stage is set for a triple threat showdown. Can Chavis teach Brown and Orton that name and hype are worth nothing, and what you want in ROH always has to be earned? Can Orton finally find the rhythm of ROH and begin the ascent to where he feels he belongs – the top? Or will Brown use this as the platform to prove to ROH officials that they'll regret having let him sit in development, at the expense of Orton and Chavis?
Final Battle: The End Of The Line
Live, only on pay-per-view
December 27, 2009
A trilogy concludes and the ROH World Men's Championship is on the line!
“The Angel Reborn” Christopher Daniels (c) vs. “The Ripper” Paul Burchill
It's a rematch that wasn't supposed to happen … but in the end, both men want it. Maybe even need it. Christopher Daniels thought he'd put Paul Burchill behind him after two grueling matches that saw Daniels retain only on technicalities and trickery. But Burchill stepped up and helped his Trios Tournament team win out the night, granting him the opportunity for one dream match at Final Battle. There was no hesitation and no question in Burchill's mind what that one match would be. Twice, victory was snatched from his hands. Twice, the ROH World Men's Championship was all but his, and circumstance conspired against him. Now, the stage is set for one, final rematch. Daniels, having unified the splintered championship lineage with a definitive defeat of Eddie Kingston, has already proven he is no paper champion, but the ghosts of his two matches with Burchill haunt his reign. Likewise, Burchill cannot shake the specter of is failures, however they happened. Both men need a win to erase doubts, answer questions, and shake off the ghosts. Only one man will walk with his head held high and gold on his waist. Will Burchill finally succeed on his third try and ascend to a mountaintop many told him he never would? Or will Daniels put to bed the doubts and whispers and take his place among ROH's most elite champions?
The crusade ends tonight ... and so will careers in a Texas tornado grudge match!
BJ Whitmer & Chris Hero vs. “The King Of Kings” Adam Pearce & “The Career Killer” Claudio Castagnoli
No disqualifications, no count-outs, no interference. If Whitmer/Hero win, The Honor Guard dissolves, Pearce and Don Callis leave ROH and control reverts to Cary Silken. If Pearce/Castagnoli win, Whitmer and Hero leave ROH forever.
It was twelve long months ago that BJ Whitmer's association with The Honor Guard came to an end. At best, it was a tenuous marriage; the fledgling and insurgent Guard needed soldiers, and Whitmer wanted help getting revenge on Chris Hero. When the Guard betrayed Whitmer, a course was set by Whitmer himself: a crusade, to defeat, one by one, every member of the Guard, until only Adam Pearce, the orchestrater of his betrayal, remained. Twelve months later, after twists and turns – the near-failure against Claudio Castagnoli, the forfeiture of Bryan Danielson that secretly derailed his aspirations, the improbable Trios Tournament victory, and the ironic twist of partnering with Hero – the end is upon us. Whitmer's crusade has come to the end, and with it, careers will end too. If Whitmer and Hero emerge victorious, Pearce and Don Callis will be ousted, The Honor Guard will be broken, and control of ROH will revert back to Cary Silken. If The Honor Guard win, Whitmer and Hero are forevermore done in ROH. Will Whitmer and Hero free Ring Of Honor from the iron grip of Don Callis? Or will The Honor Guard solidify their hold on the promotion and send its most loyal stalwart hero and loudest, most controversial superstar to the unemployment line?
ROH's war against The Family will be fought on the ultimate battleground: War Games!
Ruckus, “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, “The Instant Classic” Christian Cage, “The Crown Jewel” Nigel McGuinness and “The It Factor” Bobby Roode vs. The Family (Jimmy Jacobs, “The Rated-R Superstar” Edge, “The Enemy” Tyler Black, ? & ?)
Many promotions have felt the sting of a faction of wrestlers who ran roughshod over the roster; The Four Horsemen, the New World Order, The Triple Threat and The Freebirds all etched their names in the history books by turning promotions into their personal playgrounds. But none of them, even at their most heinous, ever became so monstrous, so devoid of humanity as The Family. Where the Horsemen or the Freebirds simply wanted to be the unquestioned shining stars of their respective galaxies, The Family wants to eliminate the competition, permanently. Defeated isn’t good enough; they want crippling injuries, they want rivers of blood, and they want retirements. And they make no distinction between “good guys” or “bad guys”. All they see are victims in waiting. And while they’ve made enemies and been rocked back on their heels, they always come back harder and stronger and make people pay with carnage. But now, the sides will be even, and there will be no chance for retreat. Ruckus, part of the triumphant Trios Tournament team, has foregone personal glory in exchange for standing up for ROH against Trish Stratus’ cult-like Family. He has his teammates, who have all suffered unto the Family: Christian Cage, once a friend to Edge, now trying to bring an end to the manipulative monster in the name of Matt Hardy. Bryan Danielson, who saw his mentor and trainer Shawn Michaels ran out of the company. Nigel McGuinness, who was merely caught in the crossfire of The Family proving a point to Don Callis. And now, Bobby Roode, nemesis to Roderick Strong, assigned to the match at the eleventh hour to replace Raven. These five men will stand against the bloodthirsty followers of Trish Stratus … but will that be enough? What surprises does Trish Stratus have in store with her two mystery opponents? Could one be Roderick Strong? Can ROH extinguish the inferno of The Family, or will Ruckus and his crew get burned by Trish’s assembly of monsters?
A four-corners elimination match to crown ROH's first Women's World Champion!
“Death Ray” Sara Del Ray vs. “The Banshee” MsChif vs. Amazing Kong vs. Shantelle Taylor
Women's wrestling has long faced a credibility challenge in the United States. Years of scantily-clad centerfolds rolling in pudding or winning by stripping have not done the ladies who get into wrestling because they genuinely love it any favors. Even ROH Chairman Don Callis perpetuated the bias, until the athleticism of the women (as well as pressure from network officials) forced his hand to sanction a Women's World Championship. But even with some of the best talent available, the old biases still pervaded, and strangely, it came from the competitors themselves. MsChif and Amazing Kong showed no respect for Shantelle Taylor, a woman as pretty as any pin-up model, but a skillset that showed she was no Barbie doll. She finally won the respect of Sara Del Ray, which caused a schism between Del Ray and Kong and MsChif, fracturing their tenuous alliance. Now, the stage is set. Four women will walk into the ring and, one by one, they will leave until one is left standing. She will write her name into the history books as ROH's first Women's World Champion. Will Kong or MsChif put down the “pretty princess” and Del Ray? Will “Death Ray” prove once again why she is considered the yardstick for women's wrestling? Or will Taylor win the championship and silence the last of the doubters?
The vacant Bold Future Championship is on the line in a no-time-limit match - there must be a winner!
The Night Shadow vs. “The Iron Czar” Boris Alexiev
For months, Boris Alexiev has been fighting to regain the ROH Bold Future Championship which he and his manager Truth Martini was unrightfully stripped from his waist after defecting from ROH. Stymied at nearly every opportunity, he finally found himself in contention … and so did a newcomer to ROH, the mysterious Night Shadow. Nothing is known about this enigma's identity, save that he is someone who had been blackballed and sat on the sidelines, so he's masked himself to prove he belongs in a national promotion on skill alone. His skill has shone through and won him a number of matches, which has put him at odds with Alexiev's quest for gold. Several times, they've done battle, to no clear victor. Up until twenty-four hours ago, this match was going to kill two birds with one stone: prove the better man by removing the time limit and giving the referee the option to relax the rules, and elevate one to the number one contender spot. That was, until, Kevin Steen became the first man to last three months with the BFC. Now, the championship is vacant. There must be a winner, and instead of winning an opportunity, that man will be crowned champion. Can Alexiev finally recapture the prize that was taken from him not in a ring but in a boardroom? Or will The Night Shadow continue to exonerate his mysterious and unspoken past with championship gold?
A tag team grudge match!
“The Professional” Scott Lost & Brian “Spanky” Kendrick vs. The Elite (“Must-See” Matt Sydal & “The Compton Coverboy” Jack Evans)
When Shawn Michaels was sucked into a war with the arrogant duo of Matt Sydal and Jack Evans, he was at a low point in his career. He'd come off a failed effort to put down Claudio Castagnoli, and a first-round exit from the Trios Tournament. His failure to get a win over The Elite would be one of the last images we as fans would see of Shawn Michaels in ROH before The Family would drive him out of the company. But The Elite couldn't leave it alone. Even with Michaels gone, Matt Sydal and Jack Evans had to pour salt in the wound. Finally, it would become all too much for Brian Kendrick, a former student of Shawn Michaels, to handle. He and Scott Lost targeted The Elite, not for revenge or retribution, but for a lesson in respect. Moving up the ROH World Tag Title ranks is irrelevant to Lost and Kendrick; it's all about putting The Elite in their place. For The Elite, it's about making Lost and Kendrick regret ever tagging up, let alone getting into their business. Will Kendrick and Lost win one for their fallen friend? Or are The Elite truly everything their name claims?
A triple threat grudge match!
Kory Chavis vs “The Alpha Male” Monty Brown vs. “The Viper” Randy Orton
The three men in this match all took very different roads to get here, but they all share one thing: the need of a win to jump-start their singles careers. For Kory Chavis, his return to ROH after battling the personal demons of addiction was met with the mocking by a former partner who was in the grip of alcohol, and a short-lived tag team with Harry Smith before Smith decided to pursue a singles career. For Randy Orton, the poster boy from another promotion was expected to make serious waves and be an instant threat to the Men's World Championship, but has found the competition much stiffer than he expected, and no free lunches off his name. For Monty Brown, expectations were low; so low, he languished in developmental until he forced his way onto the main roster alongside Chris Bosh. While he has impressed many with much more ability than anyone expected, he hasn't made the kind of impact he himself was hoping for, which led to leaving the spotlight-hogging Bosh behind. Brown's selfish, careerist attitude earned him the ire of Chavis after a match, and Orton as well … but Orton and Chavis don't see eye to eye on the Brown issue either. Chavis seems more intent on teaching Brown respect, while Orton seems offended that he has to deal with Brown. The stage is set for a triple threat showdown. Can Chavis teach Brown and Orton that name and hype are worth nothing, and what you want in ROH always has to be earned? Can Orton finally find the rhythm of ROH and begin the ascent to where he feels he belongs – the top? Or will Brown use this as the platform to prove to ROH officials that they'll regret having let him sit in development, at the expense of Orton and Chavis?
Jed Shaffer
~Let the preds begin!