MATCHES
ROH World Championship Match
Dalton Castle (c) vs. Punishment Martinez
ROH World Tag Team Championship MatchFor Dalton Castle, his quest to become a World Champion began when he was 12-years old, quickly becoming one of the most decorated amateurs in the country. Despite his accomplishments, there were questions and doubts if he could ever achieve his dream.
This one-of-a-kind star defied all expectations and preconceived notions, pinning Bullet Club member after Bullet Club member before toppling “The American Nightmare” in New York City at Final Battle to capture the World Championship.
But Castle has never faced a man the size of his opponent that he will make his FIRST title defense against in Nashville!
The 6’7” Punishment Martinez is coming off a dominant year that saw him win Gauntlet for the Gold, defeat former World Champion Jay Lethal, former World Television Champion Will Ospreay, Jay White among many others before ultimately winning the 2017 Survival of the Fittest Tournament and earning a ROH World Championship shot!
Martinez has proven he can defeat anyone in Ring of Honor – will the Messiah of Pain and the Creeper of Violence turn Castle’s fairy tale ending into a nightmare in Nashville? Join us to find out!
Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs. Best Friends
ROH World Six-Man Tag Team ChampionshipAfter a decade of being one of the most innovative and best teams in professional wrestling, The Motor City Machine Guns finally added the one accolade that was missing from their Hall of Fame resume. By beating The Young Bucks at Death Before Dishonor and capturing the ROH World Tag Team Championships, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin added the crowning achievement to their already storied career!
The Machine Guns have been taking on all comers in the deepest tag team division in wrestling, defeating teams like Beer City Bruiser and ROH World Television Champion Silas Young, The Kingdom, and former ROH World Tag Team Champions War Machine. Most recently, Shelley and Sabin defeated Best Friends at Final Battle.
Running on instinct, Sabin grabbed an opportunistic cover on Beretta. Beretta and Chuckie T., fresh off their first World Tag League, in which they finished with a winning record, Best Friends want another shot at the gold! The Machine Guns, who have welcomed all challengers, have accepted this challenge and the rematch is signed for Nashville?
Who will leave Nashville ROH World Tag Team Champions? Join us to find out!
The Hung Bucks (c) vs. SoCal Uncensored
Women of Honor Championship Tournament First Round MatchThe wars between The Young Bucks and The Addiction run long and deep, the teams seemingly intertwined at every turn since the The Addiction debuted as a team in ROH in 2014. Both teams have dominated the tag team scene but the war has expanded to the new realm of World Six-Man Tag Team Championship competition!
At the international television taping in Philadelphia, Christopher Daniels threatened to release company secrets to competitors if he didn’t get exactly what he asked for. Told by COO Joe Koff that any release of information by Daniels would be in direct violation of his contract, Daniels, Kazarian, and Sky have all vowed to inflict as much damage as they can from within.
The new trio, that attacked the World Six-Man Tag Team Champions at Final Battle, continued to make their impact, attacking The Young Bucks after The Bucks’ victory in a triple-threat tag team match. The trio then went on to defeat the Bullet Club trio of Cody, Adam Page, and “The Villain” Marty Scurll. SCU has argued that they deserve a shot at the World Six-Man Tag Team Titles based on Page’s participation in the match – and a title match they have been granted!
Who will leave Nashville ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions? Join us to find out!
Jessie Brooks vs. Kelly Klein
Women of Honor Championship Tournament First Round Match“The Gatekeeper” Kelly Klein enters the Women of Honor Championship Tournament perhaps the odds-on favorite to win. Never having been pinned or submitted, Kelly had a record-setting undefeated streak of 533 days to begin her Women of Honor career and has dominated opponents with her End of the Match guillotine choke.
2017 saw Kelly emerge victorious in the two highest-profile bouts in Women of Honor history against Deonna Purrazzo and win the Goddess of STARDOM Tag League tournament in her very first tour of Japan.
But Kelly has never faced anyone as tough as “Bonesaw” Jessie Brooks!
A graduate of the Ring of Honor Dojo, “Bonesaw” began her career in 2009 and the Brooklyn native quickly established herself all across the country. Jessie is tough-as-nails and relies on strikes and suplexes to defeat her opponents, an arsenal not unlike that of Kelly!
“Bonesaw” defeated Gabby Ortiz in front of Gabby’s hometown crowd in Philadelphia to earn her spot in the tournament. And while many would see a victory by Jessie as an upset, the self-professed “Baddest Woman on the Planet” is guaranteed to take it to Kelly in what should be the hardest-hitting match of the first round!
Will it be “Bonesaw” or “The Gatekeeper” advancing to the Elite 8? Join us in Music City to find out!
Karen Q vs. Brandi Rhodes
Women of Honor Championship Tournament First Round MatchKaren Q. shocked the world when she defeated the undefeated “Gatekeeper” Kelly Klein in her debut match in April 2017. Karen went on to craft an undefeated streak of her own, winning the main even of 2017’s Women of Honor television special against Kelly and “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo before rattling off win after win.
Karen’s instant success has led her down a path few expected. Karen accused former best friend and training partner Deonna of being jealous of her success and began verbally and physically attacking Deonna. Despite Deonna defeating Karen in a violent No DQ match at Survival of the Fittest that was a direct consequence of Karen’s actions, Karen continues to disrespect others.
Most recently, that was fellow Women of Honor rookie, Brandi Rhodes.
Despite the cache of the Rhodes’ name and the success of outside ventures like being featured on E! Network’s WAGS Atlanta, Brandi is embarking on a career all on her own. Choosing to start from the bottom like any other competitor would when entering Women of Honor, Brandi fought valiantly against stars like Kelly but ultimately would come up short. In a qualifying match for the Women of Honor Championship Tournament, Brandi picked up her first win against Stella Grey.
And it was during this match that special guest commentator Karen Q. disrespected Brandi on commentary and mockingly cheered her victory. With Brandi wanting an opportunity to prove herself, she petitioned the ROH Board of Directors for a bout against Karen. Not only will Brandi get her wish but she will get it in the Women of Honor Championship Tournament’s opening round!
Will Brandi get her revenge and the biggest win of her career or has Karen Q. played a masterful game of chess to get a talented-but-less-experienced wrestler in the first round of this history-making tournament? Join us to find out!
Mandy Leon vs. Madison Rayne
Matt Taven vs. CodyMadison Rayne has become one of the biggest international stars in the world, but the journey started in Ring of Honor. In 2008, Madison cut her teeth against Women of Honor pioneers like Sara Del Rey, Daizee Haze, Lacey, and Serena Deeb. Fast forward to 2018 and Madison is a five-time TNA Knockouts Champion and has set her sights on making history as the first-ever Women of Honor champion!
Standing across from her in the ring is a woman born and bred from the ROH Dojo, one that helped kick-start the Women of Honor re-birth in 2015. In Baltimore in July 2015, “The Exotic Goddess” Mandy Leon defeated “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo in a match that was aired as an internet exclusive. As the buzz for Women of Honor got stronger and stronger, including a Women of Honor-only event, Women of Honor television specials, the first Women of Honor highlights on Pay Per View, and the first Women of Honor bouts on live ROH iPPVs, Mandy has been front and center.
It is almost as if Mandy is following a trail that Madison blazed in her own career.
Defeating Madison Rayne would be by far the biggest win of Mandy Leon’s young career. But Madison is an international superstar and does not take any opponent lightly. These two will meet for the very first time in the first round of the tournament to crown the first Women of Honor Champion in Nashville!
Jay Lethal vs. Flip GordonSince winning the ROH World Television Title in his first match as a contracted, Ring of Honor-exclusive star in 2013, Matt Taven has shown that he has all of the tools and potential to become a main event megastar. Taven has captured three out of the four active ROH World Championships, showing that he could compete in singles and tag team action.
Taven’s resume has grown exponentially in recent years, capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships in Japan, captioning and quarterbacking a trio of up-and-coming stars to the inaugural ROH World Six Man Tag Team Championships, and becoming a big-time star in CMLL with one of 2017’s best records among foreign stars.
But Taven’s thirst for power and gold continues as he looks to become the very first ROH Grand Slam Champion. And in Nashville, following a year that saw him defeat Jay Lethal, Will Ospreay, Ultimo Guerrero, and Adam Cole, Taven looks to add yet another international star to the list of those who have fallen to his feet at his throne on his way to capturing the title for himself despite what he calls a Kingdom Conspiracy!
Taven interrupted Cody in Philadelphia, preventing fans from hearing what was on the former World Champion’s mind. And Taven spent much of a six-man tag bout featuring Cody on guest commentary spewing insults. Taven has proven to get under Cody’s skin so much that the former World Champion has agreed to face Taven in Nashville!
It is still unclear the mindset Cody is in – has Taven found a golden opportunity to defeat a star that was only defeated twice in singles competition in 2017? Or has Taven made a huge mistake, his actions potentially re-igniting and re-invigorating one of the best wrestlers in the world? Join us in Nashville to find out!
Marty Scurll vs. Shane TaylorJay Lethal was put to the test at Final Battle, pulling tools out of his toolbox not seen out of Lethal in quite some time to defeat Marty Scurll. Lethal was one of the MVPs of the Global Wars Tour, picking up three singles victories in three nights against Kazarian, Jay White, and Hiromu Takahashi and his victory over Scurll puts the man who has become The Franchise of Ring of Honor back on track for world title contention.
Flip Gordon burst on to the scene in 2017, testing himself against some of the best wrestlers ROH and CMLL had to offer, ultimately scoring pinfalls against stars like Ultimo Guerrero and Adam Page and becoming a finalist in the 2017 Survival of the Fittest. But for the first time, Gordon will face a former ROH World Champion and he will do so in his Nashville ROH debut!
Who will emerge victorious in this first-time match-up? Will Lethal’s veteran smarts and savvy allow him to continue to build his resume toward a ROH World Title shot and ultimately reclaiming the ROH World Championship or will Gordon pull out the stops to pick up the biggest win of his career? Join us to find out!
“The Villain” Marty Scurll had the best year of his career in 2017! For much of the year, it was rare to see Scurll without a championship around his waist, whether it was the ROH World Television Championship in the first half of the year or the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship in the year’s second-half. Scurll’s villainous ways led him to victory after victory and has seen his star and stock rise globally.
Critical to Scurll becoming one of the biggest stars in the world was not only his stellar win/loss record but also one of the most memorable moments of 2017, when he shocked the world and joined Bullet Club at War of the Worlds and helped The Elite expel Adam Cole.
But it is this association that has led to this match. Bullet Club has become ensnarled with SoCal Uncensored, a group made of Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky. The three men debuted as a trio at Final Battle, attacking the ROH World Six Man Tag Team Champions, The Hung Bucks. When the Young Bucks were viciously attacked after the bell at a recent TV taping by SoCal Uncensored, Marty Scurll was nowhere to be found.
Shane Taylor saw new heights in 2017, too. An impressive near 100 lbs. weight loss has made the fighter from Cleveland faster, more explosive, and the most dangerous he has ever been. And it has been Taylor who has been a hitman for hire, taking money to use his muscle to carry out hits for everyone from QT Marshall to Cody. With no loyalty other than money, Taylor was responsible for laying out Scurll and now, the two will meet in the ring in Nashville!
Will Scurll be able to overcome the near 100 lbs. weight difference like he did against Beer City Bruiser and extract a measure of revenge or will Taylor pocket even more money, this time in the ring with wins and losses? Join us in Nashville to find out!
Noted elsewhere on this board that despite practically nothing being announced, ticket sales are doing pretty well. All but 3 individual floor seats still available. As of 3 days from the event, there are only upper bowl seats available (aside from two random solo seats) so that's pretty darn good. Hopefully there'll be good walk-ups despite nasty winter weather in Nashville.
The Women of Honor tournament will be featured on both YouTube AND ROH TV, according to the WOH Twitter account. So that's pretty awesome.