McXal's Reviews

This isn't a normal Final Battle...but in a year where a catastrophic global pandemic saw the cancellation of the Anniversary Show and Supercard Of Honor then didn't even allow for the rest of ROH's annual cornerstone events to be planned, ending the year with Final Battle feels reassuringly comforting and familiar. It's not the strongest Final Battle card ever, nor is it the best booked in terms of storylines - and that was before EC3, Flamita, Bandido and Kenny King had to pull out due to the pre-bubble Covid testing - but one can make allowances given the extraordinary circumstances within which we find ourselves. Losing Jay Briscoe vs EC3 does hurt the show - it was one of the big draws and one of the few matches with a real storyline behind it. But there are some big returns too; Rush and Dragon Lee made it into the ROH Bubble...meaning the World and TV Titles will be on the line tonight as they see their first ROH action since February. The Pure division linchpins The Foundation are at the heart of the show of course. Jon Gresham pulls double duty in defending both the Pure and Tag Titles on the same show, and we'll also see the first ever Pure Rules Tag Match. Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman provide commentary in Baltimore, MD. 

Dalton Castle joins commentary as Ian Riccaboni announces the Covid-enforced absences from the card. 

The winner of this advances to receive a TV Title shot at Dragon Lee later in the evening. Draper is motivated since he is the most recent challenger to that belt and feels he has learned and improved from his loss to Dragon earlier in 2020. Deppen returns after impressing but ultimately falling in the first round of the Pure Tournament. However, the arguable favourite is LSG - coming in full of momentum after his recent Pure Rules scorcher on ROH TV against Jay Lethal. He almost caused a monumental upset when he took the former World Champion to a time limit decision. Woods lost a high profile Pure Rules Match to Flip Gordon last week on TV. How has that harmed his preparations?

Draper tosses Deppen out of the ring before the bell even rings, as Ian informs us that this is under lucha rules. It means Woods and Dak start in a battle of former Top Prospect Tournament winners. Their exchanges are interesting; Draper isn't as polished on the ground but his sheer size makes him a formidable opponent. LSG evades the Draper Bomb...then Dak gets forcibly ejected by Deppen. The two smaller men instantly quicken the pace, but battle through the ropes to the floor allowing both Dak and Josh to reassume their spots as legal men. Tony looks to springboard in but flies straight into Draper's boot. The Mile High Magnum tries to bully Deppen and forcibly ejects the rest of his opponents whilst he does so. DEAD-LIFT SUPERPLEX gets 2. Finally Leon finds a route into the match...and proves far too quick for Draper. Saint-splosion nailed for 2...only for him to walk into a spinning butterfly suplex from The Goods. Swinging suplex from Draper to Deppen as it all starts to break down. GERMAN SUPERPLEX/SUPERPLEX TOWER OF DOOM featuring Woods, Draper and St. Giovanni! Dak and Josh absolutely blast each other with strikes. Draper Bomb nailed, but Woods kicks out and tries to drop him into Deenda Bar. Broken with a frog splash by LSG! Bridging pin by Deppen...DEPPEN WINS! Tony Deppen, without a contract, advances to the TV Title match at 11:41 - and that has to go down as an upset.

Rating - ** - Chaotic and forgettable, but also frivolous and fun with a hell of an exciting conclusion. Dak Draper was the star for me, dominating proceedings with poise and generally coming off as a talent on the rise. That did come at the expense of Woods and LSG though - who both came into the PPV having been given strong runs on television - and leave having been presented like total after-thoughts.

Deppen is interviewed backstage by Quinn McKay. He is fighting for his newborn baby and swears that Lee will have to kill him tonight to beat him...

A pre-taped interview shows Jay Lethal preparing Jonathan Gresham for the task of defending two championships in one night - something he did in 2015 at All Star Extravaganza 7. He plans to do his bit to help his friend by ending their Tag Title clash with Mark Briscoe and PCO as quickly as possible.

Quinn McKay is ready to interview Shane Taylor Promotions, armed with the bad news that Bandido and Flamita didn't make it. She announces that ROH officials had planned to strip Mexa-Squad of the Six-Man Championship and hand the belts to Taylor and the SOS via forfeit...but Shane declines and says they'll be waiting when the Mexa-Squad return. Back in the arena Dalton Castle leaves commentary and tries to secure a match with Rey Horus, since he is here and doesn't have a match...

Brian Johnson is pumped for his match with Danhausen. He talks about the history of Final Battle, and plans to create another moment of history this evenng when he ends Danhausen's career...

Jay Briscoe arrives at the building, and finds an extremely busy Quinn waiting to interview him. Jay says EC3 was 'out licking door handles' to avoid facing him tonight. He wants to team up with Mark to go for the tag titles after all, but when he finds him Mark refuses and walks off. Instead Shane Taylor confronts Jay and lays down a challenge...

This is the first ever Pure Rules Tag Match. Rules are largely the same except it is three rope-breaks per team rather than an individual, the rules around entering and exiting the ring are more stringently enforced and breaking pinfalls on behalf of a partner costs a rope break. In Williams, Yehi and Yuta we have arguably three of the most impressive performers in the Pure Tournament. Tracy went all the way to the final, including a memorable victory over his former Catch Point stable-mate Fred Yehi. It is Rhett's first appearance as part of The Foundation - in a Final Battle career which boasts victories over a who's who of Ring Of Honor Tag Team wrestling. He is certainly a wildcard for the group. Can he prove he belongs alongside elite pure wrestlers like Gresham, Tracy and Lethal?

Yehi and Williams share a Catch Point handshake again, before starting the contest with an intense grappling session. Titus leap-frogs over Tracy to crunch down onto Yehi's arm...but Fred is so dangerous he quickly causes Titus to burn The Foundation's first rope-break via Koji Clutch. Wheeler looks to take over by 'decoding' Rhett. Tracy tags, hits some ANX combos with Titus then forces Yuta to use his first rope-break with a Texas Cloverleaf. Leg capture suplex follows as The Foundation start targeting Yuta's back. Yehi tags and tosses Tracy around so emphatically that Williams uses the second rope-break just to cut off his momentum. GERMAN on Tracy, into the Koji Clutch on Rhett! Tracy breaks the submission, costing The Foundation their final rope-break! Wheeler makes an error moments later, breaking up a basic pin and costing his team another break as well. Vertical leap dropkick from Titus knocks Yuta over the top rope - and he needs almost the full twenty-count to recover. Once again we circle back to Tracy and Yehi, who charge the ring like bulls and strike lumps out of each other. Crossface blocked by Fred, who then counters the Piledriver as well by charging Williams neck-first into the turnbuckles! Koji Clutch to attack the neck again...and with no breaks left the ropes are in play and Rhett can't break it. DRAGON SLEEPER from Yuta to Rhett on the floor! Titus THROWS Wheeler at Yehi to break the submission, which on a very slight technicality isn't a DQ loss! BRAINBUSTER trashes the neck again and gets 2. Tags all round leaving Titus and Yuta the legal men. Rhett gets 2 with a helicopter rack back drop. Yuta retaliates with a bridging German for 2 immediately. Diving body press scores...so Tracy tags and drops him on his head with a DVD. PILEDRIVER NAILED! Yehi breaks the pin, costing his team their final break. CROSSFACE! Wheeler gets to the ropes...so Williams uses them to increase the torque on the hold! Yuta taps at 13:50

Rating - **** - As an exhibition into what the premise of Pure Rules Tag wrestling has to offer, this was excellent. All four men were superb, the momentum shifted at incredible pace with so many neat little touches. Tracy 'coaching' Rhett as he tries to rebuild his confidence and career was a constant throughout. Tracy and Yehi continued their high quality work together delivering arguably the best exchanges of the match. And crucially, everything was paced so well that when the ropes came into play and they emptied the tanks at the end you were completely invested. Yehi and Yuta need contracts urgently...

At Final Battle 2019 Gresham and Lethal defeated the Briscoes to become Tag Champions. The Briscoes have been contractually guaranteed a rematch which clearly got put on hold due to the pandemic...and Jay now has other priorities for this show after getting sidetracked by EC3. Mark was left frustrated and recruited The Monster PCO for the rematch instead. PCO has only wrestled in ROH once since losing the World Title earlier in the year and will be desperate to get championship gold back around his waist. Gresham is scheduled to defend both the Tag and Pure Championships tonight so needs to expend as little energy as possible. Lethal has suggested he'll carry a heavier load for their team as a result...and is motivated by revenge since PCO injured his arm in 2019. But does that admirable plan make him (and the championships) vulnerable?

Lethal wants to wrestle like a purist...so Mark socks him in the face! He keeps striking until Jay has no choice but to leave the ring to strategise. PCO tags and says he'll break Lethal's arm if he tries to tag. The Monster then shows his BJJ training by DROPPING the former Pure Champion into a cross armbreaker! Gresham tags to help his partner which puts him in the firing line against the demented PCO; sustaining damage when he needs to preserve himself. The champs complaining to Todd that PCO isn't following the Pure division rules is really fun. PCO BODY SLAMS GRESH TO THE FLOOR! TOPE CON HILO NAILED! APRON BLOCKBUSTER BY MARK! The challengers are here to fight and The Foundation has no answers it seems. Briscoe dumps Gresh on the apron with a suplex too. He opens a chair in the corner of the ring for the STEP-UP SOMERSAULT PLANCHA over the turnbuckles. Briscoe and PCO are so fired up they start chopping each other just for fun since their opponents are a mangled mess on the arena floor. SOMERSAULT SENTON TO THE APRON MISSES FOR PCO! It doesn't matter that he does that in every match, it is horrifying every time. It leaves Mark alone in the ring, where The Foundation are poised to take advantage; scoring with a German suplex/dropkick combo. PCO gets a tag after Briscoe literally dives off the top rope into his own corner...and he decks Lethal with a pop-up powerbomb. Briscoe puts the exclamation point on that with Fisherman buster and suggests that he and his partner climb the ropes. FROGGY BOW GETS KNEES! PCO-SAULT NAILED! Lethal breaks the pin, saving his partner as he promised. Rocket Launcher cutter on PCO gets 2. The Foundation try to piss Mark off hitting the DOOMSDAY DEVICE on PCO! Gresham lands the SSP afterwards...and still PCO kicks out. Briscoe tries to help out but is accidentally tackled off the apron by his partner. Gresh schoolboys PCO for the win at 12:50

Rating - *** - The first half of this match was masterful. The Foundation vehemently trying to stick to their Pure Rules philosophies and getting beaten senseless by the challengers was a great story to be told, as was PCO going after the same arm on Lethal that he injured previously. Unfortunately they didn't quite stick at that level and it got a little more scrappy and hectic in the second half. The idea that The Foundation only won because they abandoned their purist ideals and started using double-teams is certainly interesting (and entirely keeping with how Lethal and Gresham acted in 2019).

I'm thrilled to see Horus back. He is one of ROH's most exciting talent pick-ups in the post-Elite world and we've certainly not seen the best of him yet. He is the only member of the Mexa-Squad to pass the Covid tests, and since he isn't defending the Six-Man Title tonight he'll make his return against Castle. Dalton is a former World Champion who felt put out at not being on the Final Battle card...but has the advantage of having wrestled regularly since ROH's reboot. Horus makes his first appearance in the ROH Bubble and may show signs of rust...

Castle starts by repeatedly taking Rey down, looking to neutralise his obvious speed and athleticism. He struggles to pin the luchador down though, who drops him with a DOUBLE springboard twisting lucha armdrag! That is enough to trigger Dalton into dumping him with an emphatic suplex. He attacks Rey's back in a sustained attempt to slow and wear him down. Horus is wounded but finds a way to hit the ropes and land a TOPE ATOMICO! Even successfully executing that he lands violently on his already-injured back. Dalton looks to capitalise with strikes, only to MISS a running knee causing him to collide with the guardrails and tumble into the empty 'front row'. It leaves Castle with a bad leg to go along with all the other injuries he carries into every match he works. DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD TORNADO DDT by Horus! Castle retaliates with a knee smash in the corner...and winds up hobbling around on the floor on his bad leg as a result. EVEREST GERMAN! His leg means he can't maintain the bridge but it still inflicts plenty of damage to Rey's back of course. ROPE RUN SUPER VICTORY ROLL! Horus wins at 09:08

Rating - *** - Horus is special. Everyone raves about Bandido, but Rey Horus is a seriously exciting talent as well. This match demonstrated that; he had no problem holding his own and blending his style into a more traditional ROH singles format. The way they each targeted a body part and each sold their injuries with real detail and subtlety absolute made this match for me. I felt it was by far Dalton's best match since the reboot...

This match has as much build as anything else on the show. Vincent and Bateman almost put Taven out of ROH at Final Battle 2019. When that failed Vinny went to Taven's house in the midst of Covid quarantine and beat him into exile. Taven was off-grid for months, before returning as 'The Trend' and gunning for revenge on The Righteous. Just when it seemed the numbers would be too much, Mike Bennett made his return to ROH too, following five years with Impact and WWE. The 'OG' Kingdom had reformed, and now look to rid ROH of Vincent and his cohorts permanently...

As you'd expect, this is a wild slug-fest from the moment all four arrive. Superkick/Spear combo by Taven and Bennett, rolling back the years and hitting some of their old staple combos early and dominating the early minutes. Vita VonStarr (making her first appearance since the Covid outbreak too) hops onto the apron to distract The Kingdom...allowing Vincent and Bateman to hit a suplex/Side Effect sequence. The Righteous sensibly slow the pace down, trapping Bennett in the ring and bludgeoning him and barely letting him out of their corner. Mike rattles off a Superkick to prevent Marseglia hitting Red Rum, but is so dazed he walks into the 'Grim Sleeper' (Vinny's guillotine choke) instead. Brainbuster by Bennett to escape, setting up a hot tag to Taven who hits a swinging neckbreaker on Bateman. TOPE SUICIDA! He wants to beat the sh*t out of Vincent even when he isn't the legal man it seems. Kick Of The King and Just The Tip level Bateman when he tries to help. Climax BLOCKED into the Grim Sleeper! Then when he tries it again Bateman counters it as well, into a neckbreaker for 2. Red Rum gets 2...and the kick-out catapults Vincent into Bennett's Spear. All four are reeling on the canvas after that chaotic exchange...and predictably when they start getting up it's still Taven and Marseglia trying to punch each other's lights out. Bennett and Bateman do the same thing until Mike breaks that up with yet another Spear. HAIL MARY on Bateman! But Taven seems to injure his bad knee on landing, creating momentary hesitation and allowing Tyler to kick out. Proton Pack blocked...APRON DVD INSTEAD! BACK DROP DRIVER ON THE FLOOR by Vincent! Matt climbs the ropes but rockets himself into Vinny's knees on the Five Star Frog Splash. Acid Drop blocked though, then Bennett hangs Marseglia off the apron for a completely insane FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH TO THE FLOOR by Taven! Proton Pack on Bateman giving the OGK the victory in a time of 16:16

Rating - *** - I'm pleased they got a half-decent time allowance (in modern ROH terms) because the feud certainly warranted it. This match was at its best when it was a dynamic, violent brawl - as we saw at the start and at the end. The portions of the match which descended into a more standardised tag format weren't as good and came off as flat when compared to the heat and hatred of everything else. More than possibly any other match on the card, seemed like the wrestlers REALLY needed a crowd to feed off. The good far outweighed the mundane though and in that frog splash to the floor they most definitely went out with a bang. 

Vita low blows The Kingdom as they celebrate victory, allowing The Righteous to mob them and zip-tie Taven to the ropes. Vita chokes him and makes him watch as Vincent and Bateman prop Bennett's leg over a wooden block and SHATTER HIS ANKLE with a steel chair. For the second Final Battle in a row The Righteous stand tall.

The face-painted, vampiric oddball Danhausen is an acquired taste. He has become something of a cult figure in his limited appearances and earned an ROH contract through the end of 2020. It will only be extended if he wins once before the end of the year...and since this is his last match of the year it is win or bust. The Mecca has taken offence to Danhausen's antics and character; objecting that a 'clown' is popular whilst people continue to disrespect his wrestling ability. He'd like nothing more than to put Danhausen out of Ring Of Honor permanently.

Johnson vocally declares his intention to end Dan's career...and almost loses the match inside five seconds. Danhausen demands that his music play as he hits a diving knee strike to the floor, but tries to climb to the top and is crotched. Tower Of London gets 2 for The Mecca. So enraged is Johnson that he grabs a microphone and screams abuse at Hausen and ROH's fans whilst stomping his opponent. Dan objects to his language (obviously)...but is clobbered by a couple of lariats before he can do much about it. Crucially he can't put Danhausen away though, and Dan starts mounting a comeback - almost grabbing the win with a slingshot German suplex. Goodnighthausen gets 2! Johnson grabs Dan's jar of teeth and pours them into his mouth, before booting him in the face to send them everywhere. The teeth go into referee Joe Mandak's eyes and cause him to miss the pin! Dan goes down as if Johnson had hit him with the microphone...and tricks Mandak into disqualifying The Mecca! Danhausen wins and gets an ROH contract at 08:44

Rating - * - Probably longer than it needed to be. Johnson is a gifted orator and Danhausen clearly has an audience (I much prefer him as an underdog ''comedy' wrestler to Cheeseburger for instance). But they could have shaved five minutes off of this without losing any significant content. It actually started to become quite repetitive. The finish - whilst 'funny' and in keeping with Dan's character - felt a little disheartening as well. Personally I felt the scene was set for a heart-warming clean victory.

Deppen doesn't have an ROH contract and is only competing in his third ROH match ever. Add to that, it's his second match of the night. He is, therefore, a rank outsider to the internationally travelled, world class junior heavyweight member of La Faccion Ingobernable that he stands across the ring from. But Lee has barely wrestled in 2020; even with all of his experience and skill he will need to shake the rust off. Amy Rose joins commentary to watch the action unfold...

No handshake from Lee, who moves with confidence but finds Deppen able to keep up with him through the opening exchanges. TOPE SUICIDA UP THE AISLE by Dragon, which he enjoyed so much that be celebrates by doing sit-ups on the arena floor. Brutal diving double stomp back in gets 2. Deppen shows his resilience though - clubbing Lee off the top as he attempts a springboard and scoring with a TOPE CON HILO! Lee doesn't let him celebrate; battering Tony down into the corner and almost winning it with a Rush-esque Hesitation Dropkick. It is almost a surprise when Deppen emerges from the corner after that with a frenzy of palm strikes. SNAP GERMAN! NO SOLD! FLIPPING DDT! NO SOLD! Lee runs through Deppen with a PK and then collapses on the mat next to him. Lee teases Bull's Horns...yet again Tony is ready and trying to knock him out. GHETTO STOMP by Lee! Deppen blocks Desnucadora and catches Dragon with a flipping Ace Crusher from the second rope. He rips off Dragon's own running knee strike for a nearfall too. REVERSE RANA! KNEE STRIKE! Desnucadora...GETS 2! Deppen just won't quit it seems. Dragon kicks him in the neck and wipes him out with another running knee strike to retain at 11:49

Rating - *** - Lee is a world class wrestler and I presume his win here means he may be sticking around in ROH for a little longer, which is clearly a good thing. He didn't really get out of second gear here though. Deppen is fantastic as a gritty, fiery babyface...but after three matches I still don't think he's scratched the surface of what he's actually capable of in ROH. He definitely made an impression with the way he sold his injuries, but at times this felt more like a squash or enhancement match for Lee. Exciting at times and fine as a showcase for Dragon Lee's skills but they are capable of much better. I'm not quite sure that ROH/Delirious has figured out the best way to use Tony Deppen yet.

Having had their respective scheduled matches cancelled, both men are here in bad moods. Taylor refused to become a Six-Man Champion by forfeit tonight and instead wants to make a statement with a singles victory over a former World Champion. Jay Briscoe, meanwhile, remains completely distracted by the absent EC3...to such an extent that he has even isolated himself for his own brother. If he isn't at his very best then Taylor - who has been at the top of his game in 2020 - will pick him off.

The opening exchanges are vocal and cagey. Both are keenly aware of the striking-power their opponent possesses so they are keen to avoid making a costly early mistake. Jay tries headlocks and running the ropes to gas Taylor...only to be smeared into the mat with a tackle. So instead he plays on Shane's ego; luring him into a punching match then using his quickness to pummel him. Except Taylor is so big he only needs one shot...and cleans Jay out with the Knockout Punch! Briscoe collapses to the floor, and finds Shane quickly on him to bash his skull into the guardrail. YAKUZA KICK ON THE FLOOR by Jay when Taylor tries to line-up a cannonball into the barricades. It is immediately apparent how much damage that offensive strike inflicted as Jay is able to plant his feet in the middle of the ring and pepper Taylor with shots. Day One Neckbreaker COUNTERED with a couple of brutal elbow strikes! He starts swarming Briscoe - using his sheer size and pounding on the former World Champion. Knee strike misses though, opening a window for Jay to muscle the big man into a DVD. Mark Briscoe trots to the ring to cheer on his brother whilst SOS rally behind Taylor. Jay counters the Tower Of London - a move he has taken from Nigel McGuinness in the past of course - with a sleeper hold. It doesn't put Taylor away but does scramble his brains sufficiently for Jay to hit the Day One Neckbreaker. PACKAGE PILEDRIVER gets 2 for Taylor. GREETINGS FROM 216! Briscoe is out cold, and Taylor wins at 13:49

Rating - *** - Rugged, hard-hitting and absolutely right that Taylor leaves as the winner. He has been upwardly mobile all year and, after putting Brody King over on TV to set up the main event for this PPV, a win over Briscoe was just what he needed to quickly regain his momentum. It did feel like the finish was rushed...but it did little to detract from what was a fun thirteen minutes of violence, considering this was effectively a thrown-together bonus match.

Gordon only returned to ROH TV this week. He already has a World Title shot in his pocket, but came back looking for a Pure Title shot as well after not being involved in the Pure Tournament. He feels the Pure division is where the buzz is now and thinks he is good enough to be a part of it - and proved that with a comprehensive win over Josh Woods on TV last week. At the heart of that division is The Foundation's Jon Gresham. Even in his second match of the night he remains a man who 'lives, eats and breathes' pure professional wrestling...whilst Flip is a man who likes high-flying, gets injured easily and as a 'Mercenary' doesn't care about ROH. Gresham believes that gives him an insurmountable edge over his opponent...

Both are keen to exchange holds from the bell - Flip trying to make a point that he can trade holds with The Octopus, whilst Gresh is trying to save energy and prevent Gordon building up speed. He quickly forces Flip to cheaply give up his first rope-break of the match with his relentless grappling skill. Gresham starts working some early leg submissions, knowing full well that Gordon has had issues with injuries in the recent past...and Flip recognises it too as he uses his second rope-break in three minutes. If that weren't enough, Gresham then attacks the elbow that Gordon injured in 2019 as well. He locks in a chickenwing using the legs, then starts cranking into an anklelock as well just because he can. Flip pushes Gresham away...all the way into the ropes which technically constitutes his final rope break! We are just seven minutes in and The Mercenary is now at a desperate disadvantage. He abandons the 'Pure' style, quickens the pace and goes back to his basics of fast runs and athletic kick sequences. He springs again into a hurricanrana and delivers a heel kick...with such force that Gresham needs his first rope-break to avoid being pinned. Kinder Surprise blocked...but Gresham misses a flying crossbody and rattles his knees into the canvas of the ring. Knee-DT by Flip looking to immediately capitalise on any leg injury. He applies a Figure 4 Leglock; a staple hold of Gresham's tag partner Jay Lethal. Somehow The Octopus escapes...but is now robbed of any power in his leg. Flip works a half-crab, only for Gresham to escape and take a running punt at Gordon's bad arm once again. In the end they come up taking turns to deliver hammer-like strikes at the injury. Dragon screw from Gordon, setting up an STF which draws a second rope-break out of the injured Gresham. Flip thinks about trying something off the top, but his injured arm means he can't springboard and loses valuable seconds climbing. SUPERKICK TO THE KNEE! Falcon Arrow...back into the STF! Gresham GRABS THE BAD ARM to get enough room to grab the bottom rope - utilising his third and final break. Riccaboni points out that Gresham looks more comfortable working a prolonged, limb-work heavy match like this. FLIP PUNCHES GRESH IN THE FACE! Closed fists equate to a formal warning, meaning Flip is one false move away from disqualification...but it has opened up a window of opportunity to exploit the wounded Foundation-member. LEG-SELLING BRIDGING GERMAN BY GRESHAM! HALF CRAB BY FLIP! STF AGAIN! Gresham scratches and claws at the canvas, eventually dropping both he and his opponent head-first from the ring to the floor. When they emerge it is Gresh landing a jumping enzi on the exposed arm. HAMMERLOCK BACK SUPERPLEX! FOR 2! REPEATED RUNNING ELBOWS! Flip is unconscious, forcing Joe Mandak to stop the match. Gresham retains in a gripping 24:37

Rating - ****1/2 - 2020 hasn't been a vintage year for professional wrestling thanks to the pandemic. Very few companies or wrestlers have truly produced their 'best work' as professional wrestling is a performance art which intimately relies on the interplay between performer and audience. Against that back drop this match was very special. Twenty five minutes of thrilling technical wrestling excellence. Lots of brilliant limb work, superb selling and - even in a match which went long - a controlled display of pacing, drama and escalation. Jon Gresham has been one of the best technical wrestlers in the world for a long time. This match, on this stage, is nothing more than the latest example of why. Seek this out even if you don't check out the whole show. I promise it is worth it. This is one of the best Pure Championship matches in Ring Of Honor history.

Flip refuses to shake hands and walks out, which is perhaps the first time that has happened since the reboot. 

The Covid-19 shutdown provided valuable time for Brody to refocus. He stepped away from his former faction, promising to walk alone with 'no heroes, no villains...just violence'. With his sights firmly set on the World Championship, when returning to ROH he ploughed through Dalton Castle and Shane Taylor in quick succession to earn this title shot. He may never get a better opportunity too - Rush is back in action for the first time in months. He has been in quarantine in Mexico for months, but now returns looking to cement his legacy as one of the great ROH World Champions. With the focus so firmly on the Pure division in the final quarter of 2020 this is a welcome opportunity for El Toro Blanco to remind everyone why he is the top dog in the company...

The size of the challenger doesn't intimidate Rush - who stomps across the ring and absolutely batters him with strikes. Except Brody is tough enough to absorb all his shorts and deck him with a single lariat. HUGE tope suicida by the challenger! He starts brutalising the champion on the outside, with great commentary from Riccaboni pointing out that other competitors have used that strategy successfully on him in the past. Rush came in with tape on his shoulder and Brody looks to exploit it by hurling him into the ringpost. That is followed by a body slam into a pile of steel chairs, with the announce team pointing out that Rush's only ROH loss was in a no rules match last year at Final Battle. King is now so confident that he actually starts beckoning the champ onto him - ducking a strike and levelling him with a big slam. SOMERSAULT PLANCHA by Rush! He is so fired up he starts slamming Brody's head in the gate of the barricades around ringside. The confidence flows back into the champion - choking and flogging Brody with electrical cable. He acts like a total dick the whole time too, posing to imaginary fans in the empty arena then busting out the 'Tranquilo' pose on the apron. He starts stomping King into the corner, but instead of the Bull's Horns opts to disrespectfully scrape his boots across the face. King is furious...and lured into charging at the champ who instantly dumps him with an overhead turnbuckle suplex. So desperate is Brody that he actually tries to lift the Pepsi Plunge - a move so extreme we've not seen it in more than a decade. Rush, oozes confidence now and easily counters with a superplex. Brody somehow hits a Bossman Slam, kick-starting a frenetic exchange of strikes. Bull's Horns COUNTERED with a big tackle by Brody! Gonzo Bomb cued up, but Dragon Lee runs in to distract the ref. Rush's father is also apparently in the ROH Bubble! His papa, La Bestia del Ring, KO's Brody with a steel chair. Rush hits the Bull's Horns but it's already over. Rush retains in a time of 16:33

Rating - *** - Well that was a disappointing finish. It's a shame that, with all the returning eyes on the product Delirious has managed to generate with the improved product since the reboot, we go straight back to bogus, overbooked and unimaginative finishes in the main event of a major PPV at the very first opportunity. It completely detracts from what was - before Dragon Lee showed up - a really bruising and exciting World Title match. Rush is a star. He's not really delivered in the ring in ROH as often as you might like, but he oozes whatever x-factor it is that gives someone 'star-power'. His swagger, the way he talked to the camera and the way he filled the empty room more than any other performer this evening sets him apart from the rest of the roster. In fact, I've seen very few performers anywhere fill the void of an empty arena the way Rush was able to here. The match itself struck the perfect tone after the Pure Wrestling clinic that came before it; brutalising each other whilst the excellent ROH commentary team provided insightful context to the action. I loved the structure as well - with Brody shocking and rattling the rusty World Champion from the start, trying to recreate the blueprint that men like Matt Taven and PCO had used to threaten him....then Rush gradually rebuilding his confidence and getting more and more vocal. It's such a shame that they couldn't have gone to a clean finish and found a more inventive way to bring La Bestia into ROH as part of LFI...

The Foundation arrive on the apron looking completely unimpressed with the conduct of La Faccion Ingobernable in a World Championship Match. Rush and Dragon Lee gesture towards them, and we fade out with a clear indication of where we might be heading in 2021...

Tape Rating - *** - Quite a tough show to rate. Empty arena wrestling isn't easy to pull-off and four hours of it uninterrupted can be a tough watch, as many other promotions have found out in 2020. But actually, they made the best of the situation with a card that felt well-paced and allowed the right matches to get the time they needed (and that isn't something I've always been able to say about major Ring Of Honor shows). Clearly the finish for the World Title Match puts a dampener on the evening to some extent however. This was ROH's first major stage and first chance to really promote it's 'new' product. So to slide right back into the lazy booking/finishes which have blighted the World Championship picture for a LONG time under Delirious' booking is heartbreaking/frustrating/annoying/disappointing etc. I understand the goal - promoting the rule-breaking La Faccion Ingobernable as rivals to the purist Foundation for 2021...but there were better ways to do that. But that shouldn't totally take away from a completely solid night of wrestling. Flip/Gresham was superb and stole the show; absolutely one for the 'old school' ROH fans, a blueprint for the kind of action ROH needs to promote every week and a brilliant showcase of two men who should be at the forefront of Ring Of Honor's product. Final Battle 2020 certainly wasn't a home-run, but it feels unreasonable to expect that of any promotion trying to put content out during a crippling global pandemic. If you're in the market for four hours of (mostly) straight-faced, hard-hitting professional wrestling with a gritty, sports-orientated focus which offers a real alternative to what other promotions are delivering right now then you'll find something here to enjoy.

3) Rey Horus vs Dalton Castle (***)

2) Tracy Williams/Rhett Titus vs Fred Yehi/Wheeler Yuta (****)

1) Jonathan Gresham vs Flip Gordon (****1/2)