Ring of Honor is still a company with plenty of talent as they prepare for their Manhattan Mayhem show tomorrow night, live from the famous Hammerstein Ballroom. There are two huge championship matches as both the ROH World Championship and Tag Team Titles will be on the line. ROH has announced only four matches heading into their big event, but all four are sure to pack a punch.
Dragon Lee vs Jonathan Gresham
This has the makings to be an instant classic at Manhattan Mayhem. Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Dragon Lee, is one of the best performers in pro wrestling right now. His mix of speed, strength, and strikes make him a must-see wrestler on this card. And when you put him in the ring with Jonathan Gresham, magic can truly be made. Gresham is seen as one of the best technical wrestlers, and even overall wrestlers in the world today. Having these two put on this special singles match tomorrow night is worth the price of admission in itself, as they both look to propel the careers forward in ROH in hopes of getting a title opportunity. Out of the four matches announced, this will be the show-stealer and a great way to kick off the show.
Lifeblood (Bandido, Mark Haskins, Tracy Williams) & PJ Black vs Villain Enterprises (Marty Scurll, Brody King, PCO, Flip Gordon)
This will be Flip Gordon’s first match since emphatically joining Villain Enterprises at Best in the World. The entire team behind Marty Scurll has an opportunity to show why they are the reigning ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions. Scurll has made the most of his time with ROH since the rest of his Elite friends moved on. Whether it was Brody King and PCO being incredible as a team or Marty coming so close to winning the ROH World Championship, Villain Enterprises are hot right now. For Lifeblood, it seems to be the complete opposite. While Bandido, Mark Haskins, and Tracy Williams are all terrific in their own right, it hasn’t been the best of days for Lifeblood. With a championship opportunity coming up on Sunday night, this is their chance to gain momentum. PJ Black hopes to continue helping Lifeblood in their efforts.
ROH World Tag Team Championship: G.O.D. (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs The Briscoes
The Guerillas of Destiny won the ROH World Tag Team Titles at the G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden in the “Winner Takes All” match for both the ROH and IWGP Tag Team Titles. They hold both to this day and now have their toughest test as they face The Briscoes on more time for the titles. The five time IWGP Tag Team Titles are one of the most successful teams of the past decade and will not lose these titles easily. For the Briscoes, they are the great tag team in the history of ROH. The 10x ROH World Tag Team Champions are looking to only improve their record title reigns with the 11th by beating their newest rivals in G.O.D. This is sure to be a battle between these two great teams as the first of two championship matches can be a classic.
ROH World Championship: Matt Taven (c) vs Jay Lethal
Matt Taven is not many people’s favorite. That is a simple fact. But another fact is that he is the reigning ROH World Champion and won the biggest ROH World Title match in history. That may make him Wrestling’s Most Hated World Champion, but he relishes in that fact. The leader of The Kingdom continues to reign on Ring of Honor and is now prepared to face the former champion, Jay Lethal. Lethal is a two-time ROH World Champion and hopes to make that three, becoming only the second man to accomplish that feat in the history of ROH. There is certainly a big match feel as it could really go either way, which could limit the title run Taven has chased for years through conspiracy. This should be one hell of a match between the two men, who’s last singles match went to a 60-minute draw.
ROH is doing all they can to get the buzz back they have had for years and have prepared a fun card for Manhattan Mayhem tomorrow night. Hopefully this means a bounce back for ROH as a brand with a fun night one of two weekend shows.
